Hotel workers at the 489-room Oakland (Calif.) Marriott City Center and 453-room Westin Book Cadillac Detroit are back on the job after settling monthlong strikes. Marriott workers continue to strike in half a dozen other U.S. cities, however.
"We are encouraged by the progress achieved in resolving the strikes in Oakland and Detroit with strong, fair contracts, and are hopeful that similar progress can be achieved in the other six cities still on strike," said D. Taylor, international president of Unite Here, the union representing the hospitality workers. "The progress made by Marriott this week in both cities shows that they are able to make reasonable movement, and we are hopeful that soon one job will be enough to live with dignity at every Marriott in all cities."
More than 7,000 Marriott workers are still on strike at 21 properties in Boston; Maui and Oahu, Hawaii; and San Diego, and across the Bay from Oakland in San Francisco and San Jose, Calif. While only one hotel each is affected in San Diego (the Westin Gaslamp Quarter) and San Jose (the San Jose Marriott), there are seven striking hotels in Boston and San Francisco, respectively. Reports of groups taking their business elsewhere have surfaced in both cities, as some event organizers have been reluctant to cross picket lines.
Marriott president and CEO Arne Sorenson expressed optimism during the company's third-quarter earnings call about resolving the strikes. "We have been negotiating in good faith for many months, and we are making progress," he said. "We have already reached tentative agreement on national issues, and we have reached a number of local settlements. We hope to welcome more of our associates back to work soon. We don't expect the strikes to have a material impact on our earnings in the fourth quarter."
Sorenson went on to praise the Marriott employees who are keeping the affected hotels up and running. "We are humbled by the determination and grace of the associates working today at these 21 hotels [still on strike], who have been steadfast in their commitment to our guests. And we are grateful to the associates across Marriott who have stepped up to work at hotels impacted by strikes, including thousands of people who have traveled from other cities to help. Due to their efforts, our hotels have continued to operate in many cases with full occupancy. I couldn't be prouder of the extraordinary dedication of our people."
According to Unite Here, the settlements in Detroit and Oakland include "historic progress" on a number of issues, including automation, wages and benefits, and working conditions. Full details of the new contracts will be made public after agreements are reached in the remaining six cities.
Hotels still on strike include the following:
Boston
• Aloft Boston Seaport
• Element Boston Seaport
• Ritz-Carlton Boston Common
• Sheraton Boston
• W Boston
• Westin Boston Waterfront
• Westin Copley Place, Boston
Hawaii
• Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort
• The Royal Hawaiian
• Sheraton Maui Hotel
• Sheraton Princess Kaiulani
• Sheraton Waikiki
San Diego
• Westin Gaslamp Quarter San Diego
San Francisco
• Courtyard San Francisco Downtown
• Palace Hotel
• San Francisco Marriott Marquis
• San Francisco Marriott Union Square
• St. Regis San Francisco
• W San Francisco
• Westin St. Francis Union Square
San Jose
• San Jose Marriott
An updated list can be found here.
