Workers at two Boston Hilton hotels go on open-ended strike
About 600 workers at two Boston Hilton hotels announced an open-ended strike Sunday, escalating contract disputes following a series of temporary strikes at Boston hotels over the last month.
“I work up to 70 hours a week,” said Theresa Fiorino, an in-room dining cashier at the Hilton Boston Logan Airport, who noted she’s working two jobs. “Going on strike is going to hurt me financially, but I am willing to make that sacrifice together with my co-workers. We are a team, and we are ready to show the hotel companies that we mean business.”
Union workers at the Hilton Boston Logan Airport and Hilton Boston Park Plaza, the largest Hilton hotels in the city, took to the picket lines Sunday and will not return to work until contract negotiations are settled, the union UNITE HERE Local 26 said in a release.
Both hotel staffs went on strike for three days starting Labor Day last month, among many high-profile Boston hotels to take the action that weekend and in the weeks following. The union said they gave hotels including Hilton, Marriott, and Omni properties a deadline of Oct. 4 to reach an agreement.
“Because 99% of hotel workers voted to authorize a citywide strike at 36 Boston properties whose previous contracts expired on August 31st, workers from other UNITE HERE Local 26 properties may also go on strike at any time and for any duration, potentially expanding the number of hotels affected in the city,” the union stated.
The union said workers have engaged in contract negotiations since April, citing concerns about the rising cost of living and unsustainable workloads. Many striking hotel workers have described conditions in which they cannot afford to live in Boston and commute from surrounding cities or have to take multiple jobs.
UNITE HERE said over 4,000 hotel workers are currently on strike in Honolulu, San Diego, and San Francisco, largely at Hilton properties.
“Hotel workers are fed up with the disrespect from an industry that is netting billions in profits off their labor,” said Carlos Aramayo, President of UNITE HERE Local 26. … “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.”
UNITE HERE Local 26 releases a travel guide for visitors planning trips during hotel strikes.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/yPqrSDM
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