Skift Take
Housekeepers are one of the key figures in Wednesday’s May Day rallies. While hotel wages have gone up, unions say that overworking is still an issue.
Some unionized hotel workers will participate in May Day rallies across the U.S. and Canada on Wednesday, pushing for more employee fairness and wage increases, especially as the hotel industry bounces back from the pandemic.
According to Unite Here — a labor union representing about 300,000 workers, including hospitality staff — about 230 union contracts will go up for renegotiation this year, covering around 40,000 hotel workers. But one role on the hotel staff is key to what’s driving these rallies: the housekeepers.
Last year, Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt staff in Chicago, for example, negotiated for daily room cleaning and a minimum wage of $25 per hour, according to a release.
Unite Here pre