Thousands of Bay Area hotel workers participate in nationwide strike

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Striking hotel workers rallied outside The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square this Labor Day.

More than 2,000 Bay Area hotel workers went on strike Sunday over wages, health care, and workload.

This is part of a national movement.

At least 10,000 workers at hotels nationwide have walked off the job, as contract talks stall between top hotel chains and the workers’ union.

Workers from desk staff to housekeepers are striking at Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, and Omni hotels in eight cities from San Francisco and San Jose to Boston, demanding a share in what they say are record profits.

“This is an industry that has been coming back from the pandemic,” said Nicholas Javier, a server at The Westin St. Francis who is on strike. “They’ve been making their profits fine but they haven’t shared any of that with us.”

Workers also want a reversal of staffing cuts made during the pandemic, including the restoration of automatic daily room cleaning, which was scaled back during COVID and better healthcare.

“I want to make sure our health care benefits are accessible and affordable,” Javier said. “We want our retirement to be a good, dignified retirement.”

Workers in San Francisco tell ABC7 they’ll be on strike until Tuesday at 10 p.m.

Workers in Oakland could join in the coming days.

In a statement, Michael D’Angelo, head of labor relations for Hyatt said:

“Our colleagues are the heart of our business, and Hyatt has a long history of cooperation with the unions that represent our employees, including UNITE HERE. We are disappointed that UNITE HERE has chosen to strike while Hyatt remains willing to negotiate. We look forward to continuing to negotiate fair contracts and recognize the contributions of Hyatt employees. Hyatt hotels have contingency plans in place to minimize impact on hotel operations related to potential strike activity.”