Union workers at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square hotel in Seattle went on strike Thursday, according to hospitality union Unite Here Local 8, which represents roughly 7,000 hospitality workers across Oregon and Washington state.
The Embassy Suites workers are striking for a new union contract that includes “year-round healthcare coverage, protections from ICE, fair raises, and a return to pre-pandemic staffing levels,” according to a press release obtained by Hotel Dive. The workers overwhelmingly authorized the strike earlier this month after their union contract expired on May 31.
The strike comes after the Embassy Suites previously offered what the workers claimed were unsatisfactory raises and rejected their request to be notified by the hotel when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents or other Department of Homeland Security personnel were on property, per a Local 8 release from earlier this month.
The workers launched their strike a day before the USA vs. Australia World Cup match, which takes place June 19 at the adjacent Lumen Field in Seattle.
“Hotel workers who are welcoming visitors from around the world to Seattle shouldn’t have to work second and third jobs to support their families or worry about whether they will have healthcare over the slow months in winter. And, as a majority immigrant workforce, they deserve the peace of mind of notification from their employer if ICE or DHS is on property,” Local 8 President Anita Seth said in a statement.
A Hilton spokesperson told Hotel Dive the company makes “every effort to maintain a cooperative and productive relationship with the union,” and Hilton remains “committed to negotiating in good faith toward a fair and reasonable agreement that benefits both our valued Team Members and our hotel.”
Hotel industry leaders previously expressed concerns about union strike activity during the FIFA World Cup, particularly in New York City.
In New York, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council ratified a new contract with the Hotel Association of New York last month, averting previously anticipated strikes. However, hotel contract negotiations are underway across other World Cup host cities, including Miami and Philadelphia, per Unite Here.
Unite Here Local 8 is calling on the public not to sleep, eat or meet at the Embassy Suites Pioneer Square until the strike is over, per the release.
Hilton has “contingency plans in place to ensure operations continue to run as smoothly as possible” at the Seattle hotel, the company spokesperson said.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comment from Hilton.
