Thousands of hotels workers from Honolulu to Boston could strike soon — what to know

29.08.2024 - 15:04 / thepointsguy.com

Travelers to several major cities in the U.S., including Honolulu, Boston and San Francisco, should be prepared for possible disruptions to hotel stays as thousands of hotel workers prepare for potential strikes.

Around the country, unions representing hotel workers have been negotiating for higher wages, better working conditions and more employee protections. With many hotel labor contracts set to expire on Aug. 31, local chapters of Unite Here, a major hospitality-industry-focused union, have voted to authorize strikes and approve walkouts until a new agreement is reached.

There are currently dozens of hotels around the country where employee labor groups have authorized walkouts, though the details of how, if and when those walkouts happen are usually case-by-case for each specific property or group (and anything could change if an agreement is reached).

That said, the Fair Hotel website has a handy tool where you can put in your destination and see a list of hotels that are "at risk" of striking, as shown in the image of Honolulu below.

In Hawaii, seven hotels in Waikiki in Honolulu and one in Kauai could be affected by the strikes, including:

In Boston, Unite Here Local 26 voted to authorize a citywide strike, which could see dozens of hotels at which the union represents employees face walkouts until new contracts are agreed upon.

In Connecticut, workers at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale and Hyatt Regency Greenwich have authorized strikes alongside the Omni Providence Hotel in Rhode Island.

And in California, hotel workers have authorized strikes at 15 properties from the Bay Area to San Diego, according to Unite Here Local 2.

Other strike votes have passed or are still pending member votes in Seattle and Baltimore.

This is an evolving list, and it's highly recommended that you check the Fair Hotel website if you have upcoming stays in any of these areas. If you're worried your hotel might be affected by the strikes, consider reaching out to the hotel directly to confirm what's happening and determine your options about canceling, rebooking or contingency plans for guests who do have to stay at the property.

Just note that even though strikes may be imminent, hotels are not necessarily required to inform guests of the disruptions, even if they seriously alter the overall hotel experience (e.g., no housekeeping or closed restaurants).

Hotel workers going on strike during your trip or vacation can throw a wrench into your plans, and you should know a few things about the situation.

First, while a hotel experiencing a strike might technically be open, it will likely run with an extremely scaled-back staff and bare-bones operations that will significantly impact your stay — especially at