Thousands of Marriott hotel employees could go on strike at any moment across the nation, including in the Bay Area.
The workers are in the middle of a contract negotiations between the hotel chain and their union called ‘Unite Here.”
The main issue is that the hotel employees say they don’t make a livable wage.
Now several months into the bargaining, they are ready to strike saying one job should be enough.
Bullhorns and picket signs are stacking up in the office of Union Here Local 2 which is representing 2,500 Marriott employees across San Francisco who are ready to strike.
They voted this week to strike for the first time saying the international business is more than capable of raising their wages so they can afford to live and work in the Bay Area.
“Marriott now is the largest hotel employer in this city,” the President of Union Here Local said. “They can certainly afford to do better than they put across the table and so workers took a strike vote and we’re serious about the potential about walking out on strike.”
On top of more pay, they are fighting for workplace safety, noting alleged sexual assault reports from housekeepers.
They also want to do away with the green choice program which they say has added more strenuous labor.
The program is promoted by Marriott as a means to help the environment and cut back on cleaning and laundry per guest.
But hotel maids say they end up using more water, chemicals and are putting in more work at the end of a stay to catch up.
Marriott International released the following statement to KRON4:
“Through many years of working with Unite Here, we have always taken the negotiation process seriously and reached agreements. We have no reason to believe that this negotiation process will be any different. We respect the right of our associates to voice their opinions on issues that are important to them. Should the union and our employees choose to strike, our hotels will continue to operate and work to minimize any disruption and to provide the excellent service that our guest have come to expect.”