Airbnb in Talks with Organized Labor to Urge Hosts to Hire Unionized Cleaners
Photo Credit: An image from an April 14 protest in New York City supporting raising the national minimum wage to $15. Flickr / The All-Nite Images
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Airbnb is on a mission to get legalized and gain more acceptance in cities throughout the U.S. A partnership with one of the nation’s biggest labor unions to encourage hosts to hire cleaners for at least $15 an hour would be the next big step if Airbnb can convince hosts to sign on the usually more expensive unionized labor.
Airbnb is going all out in its efforts to win over some of its fiercest foes, including labor unions. First were the tax agreements the company proposed to local mayors and city councils, and now this: a possible deal with the Services Employees International Union (SEIU), one of the biggest labor unions in the U.S., with more than 1.1 million members.
Sources familiar with the potential SEIU and Airbnb deal told The Washington Post on April 18 that Airbnb is close to signing a deal with the SEIU that would encourage Airbnb hosts to employ unionized home cleaners who are paid at least $15 per hour, signaling the company’s entry into the Fight for $15 campaign that has caught fire throughout the U.S.
On April 14, thousands marched in protest in cities across the U.S. as part of the union-backed Fight for $15 campaign. California and New York have both recently passed legislation to raise their state minimum wages to $15 over time.
Unions have historically opposed Airbnb. Wh
