SAN FRANCISCO – Today 4,000 Marriott International hotel workers represented by Unite Here have shut down the tourism industries of two major American cities in what may quickly become the largest multi-city hotel worker strike ever. Thousands of Marriott workers in San Francisco struck this morning, joining workers in Boston who walked out on strike yesterday. More cities may join the strikes at any moment: 8,300 Marriott workers have authorized strikes across nine different U.S. tourism destinations that may begin at any time.
“Today more than four thousand Unite Here workers are on strike against the richest, biggest, and most powerful hotel company in the world to change the hospitality industry into a place where workers can still achieve the American dream,” said D. Taylor, International President of the union. “For too long Marriott workers have struggled to get by, forced to work multiple jobs, sustaining workplace injuries, and having their hours cut, just to get by. Today, thousands of Unite Here workers are in the streets striking Marriott across the country because workers believe one job should be enough to live on!”
Union contracts for more than half a dozen Unite Here affiliates have expired in the past year, and after months of negotiations where Marriott failed to make significant progress on multiple key issues, 8,300 Marriott workers authorized strikes of nine tourism destinations two weeks ago. After the strike authorizations, the union returned to the table and worked in earnest to come to an agreement but the employer failed to make adequate movement on workplace safety around the so-called ‘Green Choice’ program, economics that make one job enough for workers to support their families on, and basic job security regarding automation. In the coming days, more cities will be joining the Marriott strikes.
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