Boston hotel workers open-ended strike begins at two of busiest Hilton hotels in the city

BOSTON — Some regard Covid as a distant memory. But members of the Hotel Workers Union still feel stuck in the pandemic -- when it comes to wages.

A union spokesperson tells Boston 25 News the workers have not negotiated a new contract since 2018. And for the last two years, she said, they have been working under a contract extension. It allowed for minimal raises, which workers agreed to in an effort to help their employers recover from the pandemic.

Over the summer, the union conducted a series of three-day walk-outs as a warning shot to the hotel companies. But last Friday, the deadline for new contracts passed with no agreement. The union thus authorized an indefinite walk-out at two of the nearly 40 hotels it’s negotiating with. Workers picketed outside the Hilton Park Plaza in Boston and the Logan Airport Hilton beginning Sunday morning.

Union President Carlos Aramayo said they will demonstrate around the clock until an agreement is reached -- and he said workers at more hotels could walk-out, too.

The primary issue is money. The union is looking for what it terms a ‘substantial’ wage increase -- though it would not get specific as to what that meant.

“Cynically, during Covid, they made cuts to services,” said Union President Carlos Aramayo. “”They made cuts to our members’ hours, with very modest wage increases over the past two years. And now these hotels are pulling in profits... record profits.”

Aramayo said that in 2020, his members helped the hotels get through the toughest days of the pandemic -- when occupancy rates dipped to a 25% average for the year. In fact, the hospitality industry was in such bad shape that spring, occupancy rates fell to around 6%,  with the average room price tumbling to a most-unBoston-like $160.

But that was then and this is now -- and four years later, the industry has rebounded strongly. The overall occupancy rate in 2023 soared to 76%, with average room prices closing in on $300. This past summer, occupancy rates surged close to 87%.

The Hotel Workers Union said with numbers like these, raises for its members -- the thousands of housekeepers, waiters, cooks and receptionists --  are long overdue.

Jerry Works couldn’t agree more. For the last 43 years he’s worked as a housekeeper at the Park Plaza Hotel.

“Make beds, do the linens, put towels in the room -- make the guests feel comfortable,” he said. “We do the things that we need to do.”

Works, who is 69 years old, said he’d like to retire but can’t afford to.

“We’re just asking for what we deserve,” he said. “We’re not asking for no more or no less.”

A Hilton spokesperson tells Boston 25 News they respect the right of its workers to strike -- provided it’s in a peaceful and lawful manner -- but that it’s proud of the wages and benefits provided to union members.

“These are among the highest paying jobs in the hospitality industry in Boston,” said Michelle Myers. “With regular pay increases, health insurance for our Team Members and their families that is fully subsidized by the hotel, generous vacation and paid holidays and a pension that is fully paid for by the hotels.”

Hilton said it may disagree with its workers on terms of a contract, but that the company -- like the union -- would like to come to some agreement and plans on working towards that goal.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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