San Francisco, CA
Water leakage closed portions of SF’s Chinatown subway station
A look down the long stairway at the Rose Pak Station of the Central Subway on November 20, 2022.
David Curran
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency closed the main stair well and part of the platform at Chinatown-Rose Pak subway station because of a water leak on Thursday. The leak will take upwards of six months to permanently fix, the agency said.
The leak occurred over the main stairwell leading to the platform, SFMTA’s chief spokesperson Stephen Chun told SFGATE. The stairs remain closed to prevent people from slipping on them.
Water is leaking through the water-proofing membrane behind the structural shell of the cavern that houses the station, Chun said. The water-proofing system covers the entire underground cavern, which sits nearly 100 feet below street level, and is unique to the Chinatown-Rose Pak station. The massive underground structure is submersible and designed to operate while water flows over it.
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“The key is preventing or minimizing the amount of water that has penetrated the membrane,” Chun said.
It will take at least half a year to fix this particular leak. The solution involves injecting cement-like material behind the cavern’s structural shell, along with additional grouting measures, according to Chun.
“It will take time and effort to fill voids with grout and isolate areas that are leaking until we can finally plug them,” Chun said.
Temporary measures will be in place for the next several days to divert water away from areas that civilians occupy, he added.
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San Francisco’s Central Subway Muni Metro line, which stops at Chinatown-Rose Pak station, opened for free weekend service as part of a “soft launch” last November before officially opening for daily service in January. Water drainage issues along the line were noted when riders first rode it in November: one rider noticed that red solo cups had been used to mitigate water flow over the tracks at Union Square/Market Street station on the day of the Central Subway line’s soft launch.
“While it is unfortunate that we are experiencing the water intrusion problem, we need to keep in mind that the waterproofing system covers an enormous cavern deep underground,” Chun said.
What’s New
Hilton hotel workers in San Francisco voted on Christmas Eve to approve a new union contract after a 93-day strike, according to the Unite Here Local 2 union.
The union, which represents about 15,000 workers in the region, announced that the deal settles the last of the city’s 2024 hotel strikes, covering approximately 900 Hilton workers.
Newsweek has contacted Unite Here Local 2 and Hilton via email for comment.
Justin Sullivan/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Why It Matters
The new contracts after this year’s strikes establish significant improvements in wages, health care and workload protections for workers at Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott-operated hotels.
The agreements conclude months of labor unrest that involved thousands of workers and disrupted San Francisco’s hotel industry.
What To Know
Hilton workers voted 99.4 percent in favor of the agreement on Christmas Eve, which includes a $3 per hour immediate wage increase, additional raises, and protections against understaffing and increased workloads.
The four-year contract preserves affordable union health insurance and provides pension increases. The deal covers workers at Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Parc 55, with 650 workers having actively participated in the strike.
This agreement follows similar contracts reached with Hyatt workers on Friday and Marriott workers last Thursday, covering a total of 2,500 workers who had been on strike since late September.
What People Are Saying
Bill Fung, a housekeeping attendant at Hilton San Francisco Union Square for 29 years, said: “These 93 days have not been easy, and I’m so proud that my coworkers and I never gave up. We stood together through the rain and cold, and even though there were some hard days, it was all worth it. We will go back to work with our health care, good raises, and the confidence of knowing that when we fight, we win.”
Lizzy Tapia, President of Unite Here Local 2, said: “Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott workers refused to give up their health care or go backwards – and we proved on the picket line that we’re not afraid of a tough fight. As contract talks begin with the city’s other full-service hotels in the new year, they should know that this is the new standard they must accept for their own employees.”
San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie said on X: “All those that have been out on strike will be back to work, and just in time for Christmas. So, things are looking bright as we head into 2025.
What Happens Next
Unite Here Local 2 said it would push for other full-service hotels in San Francisco to adopt the same standards established by the Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott agreements when contract negotiations resume in 2025.
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