Strikes begin at major hotel chains as housekeepers demand higher wages and daily room cleaning responsibilities.

 On Sunday, 10,000 hotel workers represented by the UNITE HERE union went on strike across 25 hotels in eight cities.

Cleaning up to 17 rooms per shift at the Moxy hotel in downtown Boston can feel overwhelming for Fatima Amahmoud. One particularly challenging day, she encountered three days' worth of blond dog fur on the curtains, bedspread, and carpet. Knowing she wouldn’t finish the job in the 30 minutes allocated per room, Amahmoud faced the reality that the dog owner had opted out of daily room cleaning—a cost-saving measure hotels have adopted to cope with labor shortages exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unionized housekeepers have been fighting to reinstate automatic daily room cleaning at major hotel chains. They argue that current workloads are unmanageable and have led to reduced hours and lower incomes.

This conflict highlights broader frustrations among hotel workers, who have faced job losses during pandemic shutdowns and are now returning to an industry struggling with persistent staffing shortages and shifting travel patterns.

Recently, about 10,000 hotel workers represented by the UNITE HERE union went on strike at 25 hotels across eight cities, including Honolulu, Boston, San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, and Seattle. Additional strikes could occur if contract negotiations fail, as 15,000 workers have authorized strikes over demands for better wages and restored services.

Amahmoud, whose hotel is among those with authorized strikes but where workers haven’t yet walked out, expressed the strain of the current demands. Hyatt’s head of labor relations, Michael D’Angelo, mentioned that the company is prepared with contingency plans to mitigate strike impacts, and Hilton affirmed its commitment to negotiating fairly. Marriott and Omni did not respond to requests for comment.

The labor unrest underscores the pandemic’s ongoing impact on low-wage workers, particularly women of color who are disproportionately represented in service jobs. Despite a general return to work for women post-pandemic, those without college degrees face significant employment gaps.

The U.S. hotel industry, employing around 1.9 million people, has about 196,000 fewer workers than in February 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly 90% of building housekeepers are women.

UNITE HERE President Gwen Mills views the contract negotiations as part of a broader struggle to achieve fair wages and working conditions for service workers, similar to those in traditionally male-dominated industries. The union recently secured significant gains in Southern California, including wage increases and improved pensions, with housekeepers set to earn $35 an hour by 2027.

The American Hotel and Lodging Association reports that 80% of its members are experiencing staffing shortages, with 50% citing housekeeping as their most urgent need. Kevin Carey, the association’s interim president and CEO, claims that hotels are doing their best to attract workers, with 86% of hoteliers increasing wages recently.

However, workers report a different reality. Maria Mata, a 61-year-old housekeeper at the W Hotel in San Francisco, struggles with inconsistent work hours, sometimes leading to financial strain. Despite her challenges, she remains hopeful for a resolution.

At the Hilton Hawaiian Village, housekeeper Nely Reinante often explains to guests that refusing room cleaning actually increases her workload. UNITE HERE has managed to reinstate automatic daily room cleaning in some locations through negotiations and local ordinances, but the issue remains unresolved in many hotels.

As the hotel industry recovers from the pandemic with higher room rates and record guest spending, the debate over daily room cleaning continues. David Sherwyn from Cornell University notes that while UNITE HERE is a strong union, hotels are focused on cost-saving measures and view reduced services as part of their long-term strategy.

Workers like Chandra Anderson, a housekeeper at Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor, face pay disparities and seek better compensation and benefits. Despite improvements from reinstated daily room cleaning, many still struggle to meet basic needs.

UNITE HERE Local 7 President Tracy Lingo emphasizes that while pensions are a new priority for Baltimore workers, the primary focus remains on achieving wages comparable to those in other cities.

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