UNITE HERE Travel Alert: Hotel Workers’ Union Warns Hilton Americas-Houston ‘At Risk’ of Labor Dispute

Hotels rarely warn guests about labor disputes; union site FairHotel.org changes Hilton Americas-Houston to ‘At Risk’ of additional picket lines and other worker actions if settlement on a new union contract is not reached

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hospitality workers union UNITE HERE Local 23 warns the Hilton Americas-Houston is at risk of a labor dispute if a settlement on a new contract is not reached. Workers’ union contract at the Hilton Americas expired on June 30 and dozens of workers picketed the downtown Houston hotel July 17, calling for fair wages.

Hotels rarely warn guests about the possibility of labor disputes; travelers sometimes learn of one only upon arriving at their hotel and being met by a boisterous picket line. The union’s site FairHotel – which makes clear the labor status of hotels so travelers, families, and professionals can avoid hotels with active picket lines or strikes and stay in control of their plans – has changed the status of the downtown Houston hotel to “At Risk” of future labor conflict.

UNITE HERE Local 23 represents Houston hospitality workers at the Hilton Americas in addition to workers at the Marriott Marquis, George R. Brown Convention Center and the George Bush International Airport, where union contracts expire between October 1 and December 1 of this year. Workers at these properties have called for wages of at least $23 an hour so the people who welcome guests to the city do not have to choose between paying their rent and feeding their families. According to data analyzed by Houston First Corporation, the city’s tourism bureau, Houston broke records last year for number of visitors, air passengers, and hotel revenue. Yet the city’s hospitality workers have not seen the benefits of that boom, and report struggling to pay their bills.

“I'm living paycheck to paycheck - it’s a constant struggle. My husband recently had two strokes and has no mobility on the right side of his body. When I’m not at home, I have to pay for someone to be there with him. I’m fighting for a living wage so that I don’t have to worry about if I can afford for my husband to be taken care of, or if we can pay off his medical bills, or if we can even keep the lights on,” said Lashay Hampton, a Laundry Attendant at the Hilton Americas for more than 21 years.

“Our families can’t wait any longer for real living wages - that’s why workers have been out on the picket line, demanding at least $23 an hour. We hope Hilton does the right thing and settles a fair contract for the workers responsible for the company’s success, but we’ll be prepared if they don’t. Travelers to Houston should use FairHotel.org to check the status of any potential labor dispute,” said Franchesca Caraballo, Texas Chapter President of UNITE HERE Local 23.

Using FairHotel, travelers can search hotels by name or city to learn whether a hotel is at risk, on strike, or under boycott and find alternative hotels that are not subject to a labor dispute. FairHotel also provides model contract clauses to help meeting planners protect a group event, ensure clean rooms, and allow groups to relocate if necessary.

Guests who choose FairHotels are supporting good jobs that are enough to raise a family on. Employees of FairHotels often enjoy wages, benefits, and retirement plans well above the standard for comparable non-union positions.

UNITE HERE Local 23 represents 28,000 hospitality workers from universities and museums to airport concessions, hotel and parking attendants. Local 23 members are active in Georgia, Mississippi, Charlotte, Nashville, DC, Boise, Indiana, Denver, New Orleans, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Virginia.