Seattle Hilton Hotel Workers Strike, Demand Fair Wages, Better Working Conditions

Over 100 Hilton hotel workers have gone on strike in Seattle, seeking fair wages, manageable workloads, and the restoration of staffing cuts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The strike, spearheaded by the Unite Here union, emphasizes rising frustrations within the hotel industry as workers grapple with the challenges of post-pandemic recovery and advocate for their labor rights. The action comes after more than 10,000 hotel workers in various cities launched days-long strikes over the Labor Day weekend to protest stalled contract negotiations with Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott.

The current weeklong strike, which began October 12, includes 374 workers from the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport and the Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center, according to Reuters.

"We remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach fair and reasonable agreements that are beneficial to both our valued team members and to our hotels," a Hilton spokesperson said in a statement.

The strike is intended to last until early hours of October 19, while strikes in Boston, Honolulu, and San Francisco will "continue until workers have won their contracts," the union said.

The Seattle strike is a component of a wider movement affecting the hotel industry, with over 4,300 workers from Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott properties in cities including Honolulu, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle now participating in strikes.

In September, some 2,000 workers demonstrated their solidarity with a walkout at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, which is recognized as the largest Hilton hotel worldwide. This wave of strikes reflects a growing demand for improved labor conditions across multiple locations.