‘We’re Going to Fight’: More than 100 SF Marriott Workers Go on Strike, Joining Other Hotel Walkouts Across City

More than 100 hotel workers at the Marriott Union Square in San Francisco went on strike on Friday, as employees and labor organizers continue to push for better wages and more affordable health care.

The strike, organized by the hospitality workers’ union UNITE HERE Local 2, follows ongoing labor actions at three other hotels in downtown San Francisco — including the Grand Hyatt, Hilton and Westin St. Francis — where workers represented by the union walked out last month after their contract expired. Additionally, workers not affiliated with Local 2 are also striking at eight other Bay Area hotels.

More than 1,600 hotel workers are striking in San Francisco alone, along with many thousands more nationally, according to union estimates.

“We believe in San Francisco. We want to keep business here,” said Lizzy Tapia, president of UNITE HERE Local 2. “These employers are not investing in San Francisco. These owners, these operators, they’re not investing in our city, all the things that make our city great.”

In Union Square on Friday morning, the sounds of chanting strikers could be heard on almost every street corner.

Since the pandemic slammed the hospitality industry, hotel workers locally and nationwide have complained about severe staffing shortages and insufficient pay and benefits. And even as the tourism industry has slowly begun to rebound, wages for workers are failing to keep up with inflation, according to the union.

“Many of our members can’t afford to live in San Francisco,” Tapia said. “It’s kind of hard to imagine having such an important industry as the tourism industry without members who can actually afford to be here and be a part of the community here.”

Some hotel employees are also concerned about the rising cost of health care. Workers on strike are demanding that hotel management provide employees with more comprehensive and affordable coverage.

“I want to keep the medical benefits because in the future, I want to be a mom, and I want to have insurance for me and my baby, for my safety and for my baby’s safety,” said Claudia Garrido, a phone operator at Marriott Union Square.

The strike, Garrido said “is difficult, but we need to do this together.”

According to Garrido, hotel management has taken a step backward when it comes to providing for employees and protecting their well-being.

Pandemic-era staffing cuts have also contributed to the frustration hotel workers are feeling, the union said. According to a United Here press release, staffing per occupied room went down 13% between 2019 and 2022, resulting in significantly heavier workloads for remaining employees.

A representative for Marriott said in an email that the corporation is “available to meet with the local union negotiating committee to reach an agreement that is fair to all parties.” They also noted that the Marriott Union Square is still open to customers and that protocols are in place to ensure that guests are cared for.

Abdul Sheikh, a Marriott employee working in the concierge lounge, said all the workers want is a fair contract. He added that the hotel can only run for so long without its staff.

“We’re going to fight very hard, and we’re going to win,” Sheikh said. “There is no other way we’re going to leave … And I’m 100% sure sooner or later they’re going to sign the contract. There’s no other way for them.”