How Your Trip May Be Impacted By the Hotel Worker Strike

03.09.2024 - 19:44 / smartertravel.com

About 10,000 hotel workers walked off of their jobs over the weekend, one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, due to unresolved contract negotiations. Members of the UNITE HERE union are asking for “higher wages, fair staffing and workloads, and the reversal of COVID-era cuts.” Many workers live paycheck to paycheck, and their pay does not cover the cost of living.

Workers in nine cities and twenty-six hotels are currently on strike, and the possibility of more strikes looms large if no resolution is found. The cities with current strikes are Boston, Greenwich, Honolulu, Kauai, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Baltimore, and Seattle. The list of hotels with striking workers can be found here and will be updated live as more hotels join and as the strikes end. UNITE HERE represents workers from Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott hotels.

Many hotel workers are struggling during a time when hotels posted record-high daily rates and revenue, yet many hotels remain understaffed.

If you’re nervous about an upcoming trip or are currently staying at a hotel impacted by the strikes, we’ve got answers to common questions you may have.

What If There Is a Strike at the Hotel Where I am Staying?

As travelers, this is a legitimate concern. As difficult as it may be, you should never cross a picket line, so if you are staying at an affected hotel, ask for a refund and rebook at a different hotel. FairHotel.org allows you to search for your hotel to see if a strike may impact it.

If rebooking is impossible for some reason (there is no other hotel in the area, and all other hotels are sold out), ask management to determine how the strike will impact housekeeping, room service, and amenities.
Be kind and considerate to those workers still working, as their workload is likely much higher than what it typically is. If you have to cross the picket line, talk to those striking, and show your support for them. Remember: they aren’t protesting you, they are protesting management.

I Have a Future Booking At A Hotel That is Currently Striking

If you are booked for a stay at a hotel with workers who are currently striking, what you do depends heavily on when your trip is. If your trip is within the next week, try to find another hotel in the area that is not part of the strike. If it is well into the future, keep an eye on the news, and as you get closer to your vacation, if the hotels are still striking, rebook it elsewhere.

What Hotels Are Impacted by the Strike?

As mentioned above, UNITE HERE represents workers from Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott hotels. While it is only a handful of their hotels that are currently impacted by the strike, consider booking at a different hotel if you have an upcoming stay at one of