**San Francisco Hyatt Workers Approve New Union Contract After Three-Month Strike**
SAN FRANCISCO — After a three-month strike, San Francisco Hyatt hotel workers have unanimously approved a new union contract, according to a press release issued by their union on Saturday.
The four-year agreement mirrors the deal reached earlier in the week between the Unite Here Local 2 union and Marriott hotels. The contract includes wage increases, preserves the workers’ health insurance plan, and addresses issues of understaffing and increased workloads that have plagued the hospitality industry since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unite Here Local 2, which represents the striking hotel workers, finalized a tentative agreement with Hyatt Hotels Corporation late Friday. On Saturday, employees from the Grand Hyatt San Francisco, Hotel Kabuki, and Hyatt Regency San Francisco at Embarcadero voted unanimously to ratify the deal.
The union hopes this victory will increase pressure on Hilton San Francisco Union Square, where approximately 650 workers have also been on strike for the past three months. These workers plan to continue their strike until they secure a similar agreement with Hilton Hotels and Resorts.
Lizzy Tapia, president of Unite Here Local 2, stated that if negotiations with Hilton fail to produce a fair contract, the union is prepared to expand its strike to include workers from Parc 55 San Francisco, another major Hilton-owned property.
“Hilton workers aren’t afraid to keep fighting if that’s what it takes to win,” Tapia said in the press release. “We’re prepared to expand our strike to the Parc 55 if necessary. Hilton workers deserve the same standard as workers at Hyatt and Marriott.”
Jacov Awoke, a 35-year doorman at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, echoed this sentiment. “We’re done with the Marriott. We’re done with the Hyatt,” Awoke said. “Now it’s time for Hilton to sign the contract before they lose more business. We will fight as long as it takes.”
The union’s success with Hyatt and Marriott marks a significant step forward for hotel workers in San Francisco, but the fight continues for those employed by Hilton.
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Source: abc7news.com