83% of Local 26 Omni Providence hotel workers have voted to authorize a labor strike
With an expired union contract, a strike could begin at any time
From a press release:
It was announced on Wednesday that following 12 hours of casting ballots, 83% of UNITE HERE Local 26 workers at the Omni Providence Hotel have voted to authorize a labor strike. There were 165 “Yes” votes and four “No” votes. Because the hotel’s union contract expired on January 31 this year, a strike could begin at any time.
Participating workers include Room Attendants, Housepersons, Front Desk Agents, Lobby Attendants, Bellpersons, Banquet Servers, Utility Stewards, Cooks, Cashiers, Engineers, Gym Attendants, and others.
See: Hotel workers announce strike vote at Omni Providence rally
Omni Providence hotel workers’ strike vote coincided with a strike vote among Local 26 hotel workers in Boston, marking the first time the hotel workers’ union has organized a strike vote of this magnitude. The vote covers more than half of the Union’s membership, with around 4,700 workers at 36 properties in both cities. The results of the strike vote in Boston were announced at a press conference on Thursday. Boston’s strike vote includes workers at two other Omni properties: the Omni Parker House and the Omni Boston Seaport Hotel.
Around 13,500 UNITE HERE union hotel workers in Boston, Providence, Honolulu, and San Francisco have completed or planned strike authorization votes in early August, at brands including Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Omni. Across the United States and Canada, over 40,000 hotel workers in more than 20 cities have contracts up for renegotiation this year, and additional strike votes in other major cities may be announced. Last year, UNITE HERE members won record contracts after rolling strikes at Los Angeles hotels.
Among other key demands, Omni Providence hotel workers are fighting for significant wage increases, improved pension benefits, and fewer obstacles to hiring.
Shakira Abad Payano, a full-time Room Inspector, said she works two or three jobs at a time to survive. “On my days off from the hotel, I am working 10-12 hours at my other job. I work seven days a week so that I can give my kids a better life, but I have no time to spend with them. Everything is expensive: rent, childcare, groceries. I earn just enough to survive from day to day. I need a raise so I can save enough money to buy a house.”
George Cook, a Banquet Houseperson, agreed. “I’ve worked at the hotel for more than 25 years, and I’m closer than ever to living check-to-check,” said Cook. “My rent has gone up $500 in the last two years. The prices of everything, including basic food items like butter and eggs, have increased a lot. I don’t have the money to travel to see my family or to go out to eat. I can’t afford not to go on strike.”
While hotel workers struggle to make ends meet, hotel owners have prospered. Since 2020, the value of total compensation for 15 named Executive Officers across three companies is a staggering $1.7 billion — enough money to pay every union hotel worker in Boston and Cambridge $40 an hour for four years.1
“The workers at Omni Providence have made this difficult decision because they know the future of their families is at stake,” said Carlos Aramayo, President of UNITE HERE Local 26. “They want the hotel to respect their work by paying them fair wages commensurate with the cost of living. They want the hotel to respect guests by providing adequate staffing and supplies, especially in the Housekeeping department. The workers have made it clear that if their demands are not met, they will strike.”
UNITE HERE Local 26 represents workers in the hospitality industries of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Our members work in Boston and Providence’s best hotels, restaurants, and university dining halls in addition to the cities’ convention centers and airports. We clean hotel rooms, greet guests and prepare and serve food for hundreds of thousands of travelers to the Northeast.
UNITE HERE is the hospitality workers’ union in the U.S. and Canada, representing workers in hotels, gaming, restaurants and food service, airports, and more.
