Due to the effects of labor disputes at hotel properties during Labor Day 2024 affecting lodging companies at various locations around the United States, you may want to consider delaying your travel — or, at least, keep yourself updated as to the latest information pertaining to the strikes and boycotts of members of the staffs at affected hotel properties — if they are in your travel plans over the next few days.
Labor Disputes at Hotel Properties Labor Day 2024: Travel Alert
As many as 196 hotel and resort properties in the United States and one hotel property in Vancouver are affected at the time this article was written, with thousands of employees of at least 39 of the hotel and resort properties currently engaged in either a labor dispute or a boycott; and the remainder of the hotel and resort properties considered to be “at risk”, according to FairHotel.
The majority of the hotel and resort properties which are affected — or may be at risk of being affected — by labor disputes are located in San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
Contract negotiations involving the demand for higher wages and increased staffing with major lodging companies Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott stalled, which led to the walkouts that started the strikes and boycotts. Workers claim that they are not being paid enough of a living wage while simultaneously having to deal with an increased workload. Both sides reportedly still remain too far apart on the issues for the labor disputes to be resolved.
“FairHotel is a program hosted by UNITE HERE, the union of hospitality workers in the U.S. and Canada”, according to the official Internet web site of FairHotel. “UNITE HERE members are predominantly women and people of color, hailing from all corners of the planet. Together, we are building a movement to enable people of all backgrounds to achieve greater equality and opportunity, and to make sure the whole hospitality industry comes back stronger.”
UNITE HERE Local 11 — which is the union which represents greater than 32,000 workers in hotels, restaurants, airports, sports arenas, and convention centers throughout Southern California and Arizona — was is in favor of a proposal to require hotel and motel properties in the city of Los Angeles to use vacant rooms to house homeless people, which was designed to help get people off of the streets and into a comfortable room. A compromise was reached in November of 2023 before the proposal had a chance to be placed on the ballot for a vote in March of 2024.
Liz Shuler — who is the current president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations or AFL-CIO — wrote in a message via X that “Solidarity with @unitehere hotel workers striking at Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott. Workers are done with poverty wages while these corporations rake in huge profits. Time to pay up!”
Solidarity with @unitehere hotel workers striking at Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott. Workers are done with poverty wages while these corporations rake in huge profits. Time to pay up! #OneJobShouldBeEnough
— Liz Shuler (@LizShuler) September 1, 2024
If any of the affected hotel and resort properties are in your travel plans, expect limited service from the employees. Keep up to date on the latest information pertaining to these labor disputes which may adversely affect your travel plans. Better yet, postponing or canceling your trip might be a better option.
Final Boarding Call
Although labor disputes are meant to call attention to the plights and unfairness of workers who are members of a union, the people who are usually most adversely affected by strikes and boycotts are the customers and guests who will not appreciate being inconvenienced through no fault of their own. If workers are not happy with the conditions at where they work, perhaps they should consider looking for employment at a different company or industry.
“As a general rule, it’s probably too late to cancel a hotel booking for this weekend if the hotel you plan to stay at is affected by a strike. Affected services include housekeeping and foodservice”, according to this article which was written by Edward Pizzarello of Pizza in Motion. “Many hotels never really returned to reliable housekeeping service after the pandemic. It’s possible your hotel may be affected but your experience may only be minimally impacted. If you have an upcoming reservation, your best bet is to contact the hotel and ask them for an update on any strike activity at the hotel.”
Do not be surprised if additional hotel and resort properties are affected by labor disputes.
Be sure to contact the lodging companies at where you plan on staying for the latest information pertaining to your stays — if they are adversely affected — and please: travel safely.
Photograph ©2023 by Brian Cohen.
