Nearly 2,000 hotel workers in Honolulu have ratified a new contract with Hilton Hawaiian Village, the largest hotel in Hawaii, effectively ending a 40-day strike, according to the hospitality union Unite Here. The agreement, which was reached after extensive negotiations, includes significant wage increases, more affordable healthcare, and protections related to staffing and workloads. As a result, around 1,800 workers are expected to return to work, as confirmed by the union on the social media platform X.
This deal is seen as part of a broader trend in nationwide hotel strikes, with workers in Boston and San Jose, California, also ratifying contracts recently. However, approximately 1,930 hotel workers in San Francisco remain on strike. Additionally, union workers at other properties in Hawaii are still without contracts and could potentially strike at any time, according to Unite Here Local 5, which represents 10,000 hospitality workers in the state.
Hilton’s Vice President and Senior Counsel for Labor Relations, Adam Wit, described the agreement as mutually beneficial for both the workers and the hotel. “We look forward to welcoming our Team Members back to work,” Wit told *Hotel Dive*.
Unite Here International President Gwen Mills expressed optimism, stating that “momentum is building as hotel workers across the U.S. fight for decent pay and fair workloads.” Mills emphasized that recent settlements demonstrate that jobs at major hotel chains like Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott can be sustainable, family-supporting roles. She added that strikes will continue until workers in all cities secure contracts that meet these standards.
Last week, 750 workers at four Hilton hotels in Boston and 650 workers at Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott properties in San Jose ratified new contracts that included wage increases.
The strike at Hilton Hawaiian Village negatively impacted the financial performance of its owner, Park Hotels & Resorts. During a third-quarter earnings call, CEO Tom Baltimore reported that the strike, along with Hurricane Helene, contributed to an 8% decline in RevPAR (revenue per available room) at the company’s two Hawaii hotels. The overall impact on the company’s RevPAR was estimated at 70 basis points. Despite the challenges, Baltimore noted that Hilton Hawaiian Village remained open and continued to provide services to guests.
However, some guests were dissatisfied with the reduced level of service during the strike, even staging a protest in response, as reported by Island News. Hilton declined to comment on the service disruptions.
Source: finance.yahoo.com