Hilton's largest property impacted as hotel strikes return to Hawaii

A new hotel labor strike is currently taking place in Hawaii, with approximately 2,000 employees at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort initiating an indefinite walkout this week.

Thousands of hotel workers, represented by various Unite Here labor union chapters, have been striking intermittently since Labor Day amid a nationwide conflict between hospitality staff and hotel management. Following the expiration of numerous hotel labor contracts on August 31, workers have been pushing for improved wages, enhanced working conditions, and increased employee protections.

Short-lived strikes previously occurred over Labor Day weekend in several other cities, such as Boston and San Francisco, but typically concluded after a few days of work stoppages. Employees at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront have been on strike since the start of the month and are committed to continuing until a new contract is reached.

Workers at the Hilton Hawaiian Village engaged in a brief strike over Labor Day but have now transitioned to an indefinite strike, mirroring the situation of their colleagues at the Hilton in San Diego.

"I'm striking again, prepared to stay on strike until we achieve a fair deal. While hotel corporations are posting record profits, I'm a single mother juggling three jobs just to support my family in Hawai'i," said Aileen Bautista, a housekeeper at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. "We want to negotiate and finalize a contract, but after our 3-day limited strike and recent bargaining discussions, it's clear they don’t understand our situation."

Over 4,000 workers have initiated an indefinite strike at Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott locations in Honolulu, San Diego, and San Francisco. In addition to the previously mentioned hotels, indefinite strikes are also occurring at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco, Hilton San Francisco Union Square, and Westin St. Francis San Francisco in the Bay Area.

These workers have stated they will continue their strike until new contracts are secured, according to a Unite Here announcement. Hilton insists they have contingency plans in place to handle strikes like the current ones at their associated hotels in Honolulu, San Diego, and San Francisco.

"Hilton strives to maintain a collaborative and productive relationship with the unions representing some of our team members, and we are dedicated to negotiating in good faith to reach fair agreements that benefit both our valued team members and our hotels," stated a Hilton spokesperson, a stance the company has upheld since the strikes began. "We are also fully committed to delivering our signature hospitality, and our hotels are equipped with contingency plans to ensure smooth operations continue."

However, Unite Here points out that previous strikes led to diminished housekeeping services, closures of bars and restaurants, accumulation of trash and linens, and shortened pool hours at the impacted hotels. Contingency plans at hotels often involve reallocating nonunionized workers from other departments to fill the gaps.

This is an important consideration if you have plans to visit the Hilton Hawaiian Village or any of the other affected hotels in the coming weeks.

"Hotel workers are prepared to strike as long as necessary to regain respect for our labor and our guests," stated Gwen Mills, international president of Unite Here. "The hotel industry is reaping record profits by compromising the hospitality experience for guests and neglecting workers. Yet, we know these large hotel chains can afford to pay living wages, provide manageable workloads, and reverse the cuts made during the COVID era. We are entering a new phase in this struggle, with thousands of hotel workers ready to continue striking until our families receive what they deserve."