Jobs in leisure and hospitality have been low in the post-pandemic era, and the industry has seen overall employment declines.
In the US, the hospitality industry has taken a hit since around 10,000 hotel workers, who are part of UNITE HERE, have been on a multi day strike. For those caught unaware, UNITE HERE is a union that includes people working for hotels, transportation, and several other industries, and as per a press release from the union, workers in 12 US cities have gone on strikes at Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Omni hotel properties.
The strike, which started on Sunday, had 5,000 UNITE HERE members in Honolulu, 2,100 in San Francisco, and over 900 in Boston, going on strike by Monday. "We wouldn't have a day to rest, relax, and enjoy the fruits of the labour movement if our union predecessors hadn't stood up to fight for them — but that fight's not over," Gwen Mills, UNITE HERE's international president, said, and further added that hotel workers in the U.S. are celebrating Labour Day Weekend with a target to fight for fair workloads, and reversal of staffing cuts.
It cannot be ruled out that the leisure and hospitality industry took a hit, and as per Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the US saw massive job cuts during the pandemic. While now the overall job market is better but the hotel industry is still off track.
"During COVID, everyone suffered, but now the hotel industry is making record profits while workers and guests are left behind," Mills asserted. He added that workers are not able to make enough money to support their families. “We won't accept a 'new normal' where hotel companies profit by cutting their offerings to guests and abandoning their commitments to workers,” he maintained.
As for hotel strikes, their dates are September 1 to September 3, except for Seattle and San Diego. The two cities have dated their strikes from September 1 to September 2, and Baltimore workers started going on strike on Monday. "Strikes have also been authorised and could begin at any time in New Haven, Oakland, and Providence," a September 2 press release from UNITE HERE mentioned.
