About 2,500 hotel workers continued to strike on Thanksgiving as negotiations stalled.
Thanksgiving marked the 68th day of the strike, which began on September 22. Union workers from UNITE HERE Local 2 have demanded more staff, higher wages and safe working conditions. The strike involves employees of Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton hotels.
“We are fighting for something as basic as our wages, our health insurance and our pensions,” Jose Leon, who worked at the Grant Hyatt for 32 years, said Thursday. “This suffering makes us appreciate what we have and what we deserve.”
Sergio Hernandez, who has worked at the Grand Hyatt in San Francisco’s Union Square for 16 years, said he and his family have struggled to keep up with the cost of living in the Bay Area.
“Health insurance is very important to us and our families, especially here in San Francisco,” he said.
Holding signs reading “Bet on SF,” union workers hope to compromise with the hotels by making pay contingent on future hotel profits rather than demanding guaranteed wage increases. The union stated that it would only agree to this contingency if hotels “reverse COVID-era cuts.”
Vi Trung, who has worked at the Grand Hyatt for 34 years, says he notices fewer colleagues doing more work with fewer resources.
‘It doesn’t meet our standards here. They cut staffing,” said Trung, standing outside the Grand Hyatt on Thursday.
Leon, who is part of a negotiating committee representing his colleagues at Grand Hyatt, said he has not heard from anyone at Hyatt.
“We haven’t heard from them. We’ll wait and hopefully they’ll have something fair for us,” Leon said.
In a statement to CBS News Bay Area, the company’s head of labor relations said it had not yet heard from the union.
“We are disappointed that UNITE HERE Local 2 continues to strike while Hyatt remains willing to continue negotiating in good faith. At this time, UNITE HERE Local 2 has not contacted us to resume negotiations since the strike began,” said Michael D’Angelo. “We look forward to continuing to negotiate fair contracts and recognize the contributions of Hyatt employees. We continue to wait for UNITE HERE Local 2 to provide data to resume meaningful negotiations.”
D’Angelo also stated that the company has offered “competitive wages, health care and retirement benefits at the hotel” in the past.
CBS News Bay Area reached out to Marriott for comment but did not receive a response.
The standoff left striking union workers taking a short break to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal together.
With help from UNITE Here Local 19 in San Jose, the workers set up tables and ate pupusas, fried rice and cake together.
“That’s a shame that we have to have lunch on the street. You should be at home with your relatives,” Trung said. “But at the same time, it gives me the opportunity to learn more about these people here. So I feel great.”
