Dive Brief:
- Union hotel workers employed by the Hilton Americas-Houston hotel in Houston will hold a vote on Wednesday, Aug. 13, to authorize a strike amid their fight for a higher minimum wage, hospitality union Unite Here Local 23 announced in a release obtained by Hotel Dive.
- Franchesca Caraballo, the Texas chapter president of Unite Here Local 23, told Hotel Dive the union represents more than 400 workers at Hilton Americas-Houston, “waves” of whom are expected to show up to cast their votes. Workers will include Hilton Americas-Houston housekeepers, cooks, laundry attendants and banquet servers. The vote will take place at the Embassy Suites Houston Downtown.
- If the workers, who saw their contracts expire June 30 and have been bargaining with the hotel since June, vote yes to a strike, one could be called at any time, Caraballo said. According to Unite Here, employees have been advocating to raise their minimum wage to at least $23 an hour “to be able to afford rising costs in Houston.” Other hospitality union workers across the city are also vying for wage increases.
Dive Insight:
Unite Here expects the Hilton Americas-Houston workers will vote majority yes to go on strike at the hotel, Caraballo said, noting that “negotiations with Hilton are ongoing, however workers have made it clear that they cannot afford to wait for the fair wages and the respect they deserve.”
The strike vote comes after union hotel workers picketed Hilton Americas-Houston — the city’s largest hotel by rooms — last month, advocating for higher wages. This represented the first time workers had picketed the hotel in its history, Unite Here told Hotel Dive last month.
Hilton Americas-Houston, along with other Unite Here Local 23-represented workers at Marriott Marquis, the George R. Brown Convention Center and the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, first launched an initiative to advocate for a $23 minimum wage in April. Union workers at the businesses claim their wages don’t keep up with the rising cost of living in Houston, which has been experiencing a rise in tourism.
Houston broke records last year for its number of visitors, air passengers and hotel revenue, with hotel revenue increasing 15.5% year over year to $3 billion in 2024, according to Unite Here, citing Houston First Corporation. However, “the city’s hospitality workers have not seen the benefits of that boom, and report struggling to pay their bills,” the union stated.
Workers from Marriott Marquis, the George R. Brown Convention Center and the George Bush Intercontinental Airport will join those from Hilton Americas-Houston at the voting session on Wednesday.
“Hilton Americas workers aren’t alone in this fight,” Caraballo said. “Hotel workers from the Marriott Marquis have walked the line alongside Hilton workers in solidarity as they fight for the same standards at their hotel. [The] Marriott workers’ contract is set to expire on Sept. 30, and workers have been talking to and organizing their coworkers to ensure they win the same standards in their upcoming contract.”
Unite Here Local 23 represents approximately 3,000 hospitality workers in Houston.
Nationwide, hotels are projected to pay employees a record $128.47 billion in wages, salaries and other compensation in 2025, up from $125.79 billion in 2024, the American Hotel & Lodging Association reported in February.
