Skift Take
It's Marriott under fire now, but keep an eye on the broader hospitality and travel services industry in the U.S.
Labor union strikes against hospitality companies are not uncommon.
But the more than 7,700 striking Marriott employees represented by Unite Here, working in states that range from Hawaii and California to Michigan and Massachusetts, are demonstrating a growing problem — not only for Marriott, the world's largest hotel company — but for the general hospitality industry in the U.S.
That problem? The growing desire among workers throughout the historically low-wage hotel and service industries for better pay and increased security measures, and corporations having to face the consequences of not meeting those needs.
The union Unite Here represents approximately 20,000 Marriott workers, and nearly 40 percent of them are currently on strike. The strikes began in late September, after Unite Here contracts with various Marriott hotels across the U.S. began to expire in July and August of this year. The number of work stoppages at Marriott properties is growing, and beginning to impact guest services and potentially planned meetings and events at the hotels.
This strike — one of the largest multi-city hotel workers' strikes in the U.S. in recent history that is impacting 23 different hotels — might be targeting only Marriott hotels at the moment, but other hotels and brands may face similar labor strife in the coming years.
"The reaction we've had from the rest of the industry is relief that they're not the ones who are being targeted by this strike," said Rachel Gumpert, national press secretary for Unite Here. "But I think that what they might be missing is that we're absolutely coming for the whole industry. We're starting with the biggest and the richest hotel company and after that we are absolutely going to ensure that all the other hotel companies are giving workers enough pay so they're able to work with dignity."
Skift reached out to Marriott for comment on the strike and received the following statement from a Marriott International spokesperson: "We are disappointed that Unite Here has chosen to resort to a strike at this time. During the strike our hotels are open, and we stand ready to provide excellent service to our guests. We continue to bargain in good faith for a fair contract. While we respect our associates' rights to participate in this work stoppage, we also will welcome any associate who chooses to continue to work."
The Immediate Impact of the Strikes
The following is a chart of all the impacted hotels where U
