Boston hotel workers strike for third time this month at four new locations

BOSTON – Hotel workers in Boston went on strike for the third time this month on Thursday morning.

Boston hotel strike – wave 3

This time around, workers at Omni Parker House, Omni Boston Seaport, Renaissance Boston Seaport and Westin Boston Seaport stopped working at 7 a.m. on Thursday morning.

The union that represents them, UNITE HERE Local 26, said this will be the third three-day strike at four different Boston hotels this month. The hotels have remained open, but services may be limited.

Chambermaids, receptionists, banquet workers, cooks and dishwashers are among hundreds of union members seeking more pay, automatic daily cleaning of rooms and the return of jobs cut during the pandemic. Many say they have been forced to work more than one job to feed their families.

The first stroke was back on Labor Day weekend when workers at the Hilton Park Plaza, Hilton Logan Airport, Fairmount Copley Plaza and Hilton-Hampton Inn Boston Seaport went on strike for three days, along with thousands of other hotel workers about the US

The second wave union members involved last week at the Newbury Hotel, W Boston, Moxy Boston Downtown and the Dagny Boston.

There has been no comment yet from any of the Boston hotels. In statements to CBS News earlier this monthHyatt and Hilton representatives said they look forward to continuing negotiations with union members. Marriott did not respond to a request for comment.

“It’s frustrating”

“We have been negotiating with the hotel companies since April. From day one, the union has been transparent about our demands – we need living wages, fair working hours and safe workloads. But the hotels continue to disrespect us by offering crumbs. It is infuriating,” union president Carlos Aramayo said in a statement Thursday.

“These hotels would not be profitable without their workers, who have the skills, experience and dedication to provide guests with the highest level of hospitality. That is why workers are striking: to ensure that the hotels respect their work and pay them what they deserve.”