Thousands of hotel workers in Boston are poised potentially to walk out, with UNITE HERE Local 26 members voting to authorize what may be the region's first large-scale hotel strike in recent history. In a show of solidarity, 99 percent of voting members opted to back the action, according to a report by Boston.com. The strike authorization, which concluded on Thursday, could see up to 4,500 hotel workers picketing as early as the end of this month August 31 with affected properties including the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport, the W Boston, and the Sheraton Boston Hotel.
The move aims to address demands for better pay, fair workloads, and reversal of staffing reductions that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Revealing the weight of these negotiations, Kevin Haynes, a cook at the Park Plaza, told NBC Boston, "This is about my livelihood. I have children, and I want them to have a bright future, and the only way they're going to achieve that is by us getting what we deserve." In contrast to the pride workers take in their refusal to settle for less, the union president, Carlos Aramayo, described the industry's counterproposals as "insulting."
Contact has been ongoing since April, with workers objecting to proposals they see as derisory. The union has also been striving to improve conditions, including increases to pension benefits and housing funding—measures designed to bolster worker welfare and family life. The desire for progress was reflected in the voices and banners at City Hall Plaza, where Mayor Michelle Wu offered staunch support to the attendees, saying, “The city of Boston is standing here with you, and we have your back every step of the way,” as reported by both NBC Boston and WCVB.com.
This strike vote transpired amidst broader negotiations nationally, with sister protests and votes planned in nine cities. If the hotels fail to deliver on the needs of their workers, Boston could soon bear witness to a historic cessation of services. The struggle reflects an increasingly vocal labor movement seeking to restore and even advance the pre-pandemic standards of hotel employment. As a harbinger of discontent, hotel workers are trying to signal the seriousness of their cause, a tenor captured from Local 26 president Aramayo's statement to Boston.com that the last time hotel contracts were negotiated in 2018, conditions were different—hotel occupancy levels may have rebounded, yet staffing remains at an ebb.
Despite the looming threat of industrial action, there's a glimmer of hope as Hyatt's head of labor relations, Michael D’Angelo, expressed the company's willingness to forge a mutually beneficial agreement, pointing out to WCVB.com, "We are disappointed that Unite Here Local 26 authorized a strike vote while Hyatt remains willing to negotiate, and we remain optimistic that a mutually beneficial agreement can be reached without a strike. We look forward to continuing to negotiate a fair contract and recognize the contributions of our employees" As the deadline nears, the next steps taken by both sides could determine the course of the hospitality industry in Boston for the foreseeable future.
