Boston's hotel workers are on strike, impacting some of city's landmarks
BOSTON - Nearly 600 hotel workers picketed outside the Hilton Boston Park Plaza Hotel on Sunday calling for a better contract.
What hotel workers want
The hotel workers union, Unite Here Local 26, released a statement Sunday morning saying they will strike and picket outside hotel entrances 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until a deal is reached.
The union has been negotiating a new contract since April and have held a series of three-day strikes that started last month. The union is calling for more staffing, better working conditions and higher wages. They said they had set a deadline of Friday, Oct. 4, to reach a contract agreement.
"Hotel workers are fed up with the disrespect from an industry that is netting billions in profits off their labor. Local 26 hotel workers love their jobs and take great pride in providing hospitality to guests. They would rather be at work. Going on strike is not an easy decision, but the workers are ready to fight for a contract that will enable them to take care of their families and retire with dignity," said Local 26 President Carlos Aramayo.
Jerry Works, 69, has worked at the Park Plaza hotel for 43 years and now works in housekeeping. He said, "It's very hard to make ends meet," and said he's striking to get a raise because he's worried about being able to retire.
Who's impacted by the strike?
Striking workers include room attendants, housepersons, front desk agents, bellhops, cooks, telephone operators, doorpersons, cashiers, dishwashers and banquet staff.
On Sunday workers at Boston's two Hilton hotels walked out.
"These are the first two to go, and there may be more in the near future," Aramayo said.
The union negotiates separately with each hotel chain in Boston.
"The major players in the Boston market are Marriott, Hilton and now Omni, that has the big convention center hotels" Aramayo said, adding that there are a number of smaller hotels that are also involved in contract negotiations.
Aramayo said cuts happened during the COVID-19 epidemic and while many hotels are now making record profits, many workers have wages so low that they cannot afford to live in Boston. He said with hotel workers on strike, hotels will struggle with long check-in lines, dirty rooms, providing food for guests and other guest services.
The union said visitors to the city can check here to see if a hotel is in the middle of a labor dispute.