Strikes Begin at Major Hotel Chains as Housekeepers Demand Better Pay

Fatima Amahmoud, a housekeeper at the Moxy hotel in downtown Boston, faces a daunting task each shift, with up to 17 rooms to clean. Her experiences highlight a broader issue in the hotel industry, especially when an unruly accumulation of dog hair reflects the repercussions of declining daily room cleaning services.

This shift away from daily housekeeping, promoted as environmentally friendly, has become a cost-saving measure for many hotels struggling with labor shortages since the COVID-19 pandemic. Housekeepers like Amahmoud are feeling the brunt of these decisions. She often finds herself unable to finish her cleaning tasks within the designated 30 minutes per room, especially when guests opt out of daily service.

Unionized housekeepers, represented by the UNITE HERE union, are rallying for the reinstatement of automatic daily room cleaning. They argue that reduced service translates to unmanageable workloads, fewer hours, and diminishing wages. This issue has emerged as a significant point of contention, revealing broader frustrations regarding working conditions within the hotel industry.

During the pandemic, many hotel workers were laid off and subsequently returned to a vastly altered workplace, one dealing with entrenched staffing shortages and changing travel trends. Currently, over 40,000 workers in the industry are engaged in challenging contract negotiations with prominent hotel chains such as Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Omni.

These negotiations center around demands for increased wages and the reinstatement of services and staffing levels cut during the pandemic. Notably, more than 15,000 workers have cast votes authorizing strikes this fall as their contracts expire in cities from Honolulu to Boston.

The first strikes commenced recently as more than 1,000 workers walked out for three days at multiple hotels in Boston and one in Greenwich, Connecticut. This labor unrest underscores the ongoing challenges faced by low-wage women, particularly Black and Hispanic women, who comprise a substantial portion of service industry workers.

The hotel industry currently employs about 1.9 million individuals, yet this number is approximately 196,000 less than pre-pandemic levels. The American Hotel and Lodging Association has reported that around 80% of its member hotels are experiencing staffing shortages, with housekeeping roles cited as the most critical hiring need.

Housekeeping positions are predominantly held by women of color, many of whom are immigrants and older workers. Almost 90% of building housekeepers are women according to federal statistics. Amahmoud expresses the challenges her team faces, noting that they have repeatedly communicated their struggles regarding workload to management, yet little has changed.

Gwen Mills, President of UNITE HERE, regards the contract negotiations as part of a larger attempt to secure sustainable wages for service workers that align with those seen in male-dominated industries. Mills describes the undervaluing of hospitality work as a systemic issue linked to gender and racial disparities in employment.

Encouragingly, the union recently achieved significant successes in Southern California, where they secured wage increases, better pension contributions, and manageable workload guarantees after a series of strikes. This new contract will see most housekeepers earning $35 an hour by July 2027.

Despite these victories, Kevin Carey, interim president of the hotel association, asserts that hotels are actively working to attract workers. Surveys indicate that 86% of hoteliers have raised wages over the past six months, attributing a 26% increase in pay since the pandemic to their efforts.

Nonetheless, workers report a more complex reality. Maria Mata, a 61-year-old housekeeper at the W Hotel in San Francisco, illustrates the difficulties many face. Her bi-weekly earnings of $2,190 depend on full-time hours, but fluctuating work schedules leave her struggling financially and reliant on credit cards for day-to-day expenses.

Additionally, Nely Reinante, a housekeeper at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, encounters guests who decline room cleaning services, mistakenly thinking they are helping her. She makes it a point to educate guests on the implications of their choices on her workload.

UNITE HERE has successfully regained automatic daily room cleaning in Honolulu and other areas through various means since the pandemic, though the issue is back on the table as contracts expire. The union aims to tighten contractual language to prevent hotels from encouraging guests to forgo cleaning services.

Leading hotel chains are showing signs of negotiation willingness, with Hilton expressing commitment to reach fair agreements and Hyatt optimistic about achieving mutually beneficial results without strikes. However, the outcomes for Marriott and Omni remain uncertain as they did not respond to requests for comment.

Despite a rebound in the industry since the pandemic, average occupancy rates remain below pre-pandemic levels, though higher room rates have led to notable increases in revenue. David Sherwyn, director at the Cornell University Center for Innovative Hospitality Labor & Employment Relations, notes that the resistance to restoring housekeeping services reflects a long-term strategy from hotels to cut costs amid staff shortages.

Workers are increasingly frustrated by a perceived strategy that demands more from them while offering less in terms of job security and wages. For instance, Chandra Anderson, a housekeeper in Baltimore, wishes for a contract raise to $20 per hour, feeling dismayed by initial company offers.

The ongoing struggle for fair wages and improved conditions reminds us of the persistent challenges faced by hotel workers, especially during these transformative times in the hospitality industry.

Source: Associated Press