Tensions are rising at the Hilton Inner Harbor in Baltimore as unionized workers are prepared to commence a strike this Thursday. According to WMAR-2 News, approximately 200 members of the UNITE HERE Local 7 union voted with a 97% majority to approve the strike action after unsuccessful negotiations over wages and working conditions.

The current contract with the hotel is due to expire on August 15, enabling the union's negotiating committee to initiate a strike. Jeffrey Barner, a bellman at the Hilton, expressed his discontent in a press release, as reported by WMAR-2 News, "I'm ready to strike because I'm tired of smiling through my day while I worry about how I'm going to keep the lights on and put food on the table."

The union, which represents a diverse cadre of hotel workers ranging from housekeepers to bartenders, is demanding wage increases, better workload distribution, and enhanced protections for guest services. The labor dispute follows a broader national trend with workers at other hotels, including Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott, engaging in similar strike authorization votes this month. This is according to details revealed by The Baltimore Banner.

"Our members absolutely love this city," Tracy Lingo, the union's president, told WMAR-2 News in an interview. "They love being ambassadors of this city. And all we're saying is, we want to make sure the money that comes to our city through tourism stays in our neighborhoods and benefits our city." Additional context from The Baltimore Banner highlights that the lowest-paid workers at Baltimore’s city-owned Hilton—such as housekeepers, dishwashers, and banquet staff—earn $16.20 an hour, trailing their counterparts in nearby Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia significantly.

In response to the looming strike Hilton's Americas spokesperson stated, "We are currently in negotiations with UNITE HERE, Local 7, which represents some of our Team Members, for a new collective bargaining agreement." They further claimed, as reported by WMAR-2 News, "Hilton has an established track record of successfully negotiating labor agreements with UNITE HERE Local 7 and is committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that is beneficial to both our valued team members and to our hotels."