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The US The ongoing hotel labor strike is once again underway in Hawaii, where about 2,000 workers at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort began an indefinite walk-off this week.

Thousands of hotel workers who are various members Unite here Amid a national dispute between hospitality workers and hotel owners, labor union chapters have gone on intermittent strikes since Labor Day. With many hotel labor contracts expiring on August 31, workers are negotiating for higher wages, better working conditions and more employee protections.

Several other cities, including Boston and San Francisco, had previously held limited strikes over the Labor Day weekend, but, for the most part, ended after several days of work stoppages. Employees at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront have been on strike since the beginning of the month and say they will continue to strike until a new contract is reached.

Workers at the Hilton Hawaiian Village previously went on a short strike on Labor Day but are now on an indefinite strike, as are their counterparts at the Hilton in San Diego.

“I’m on strike again and this time I’m willing to strike as long as it takes to win. While hotel companies are making record profits, I’m a single mom who has to work three jobs to support my family and here in Hawaii. Be able to survive,” Aileen Bautista, housekeeper at Hilton Hawaiian Village, said in a statement. “We are committed to bargaining and settling the contract, but after returning to work after our 3-day limited strike and meeting with our employer for another bargaining session, they are not getting it.”

More than 4,000 workers at Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott properties in Honolulu, San Diego and San Francisco are now on indefinite strike. In addition to the previously mentioned hotels in Honolulu and San Diego, the Grand Hyatt San Francisco, Hilton San Francisco Union Square and the Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square in the Bay Area are also under indefinite strike.

Those workers say they will remain on strike until they win a new contract, according to a Unite Here release. Hilton maintains that it has contingency plans in place, such as an ongoing strike at its affiliated properties in Honolulu, San Diego and San Francisco.

“Hilton makes every effort to maintain a cooperative and productive relationship with the unions that represent some of our team members, and we remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach fair and reasonable agreements that are beneficial to both our valued team members and our hotel,” A Hilton spokesperson said the company has maintained the position since the strike began. “We are also fully committed to providing guests with our signature hospitality and have contingency plans in place to ensure our hotels continue to operate as smoothly as possible.”

But Unite Here notes that previous strikes have resulted in reduced housekeeping services, closed bars and restaurants, trash and linen piles, and reduced pool hours at affected hotels. Hotel contingency plans sometimes mean transferring unorganized workers from other departments into affected roles.

It’s something to keep in mind if you have an upcoming trip to the Hilton Hawaiian Village or any of the other affected hotels in the coming weeks.

“Hotel workers will strike to restore the dignity of our work and our guests,” Unite Here international president Gwen Mills said in a statement. “The hotel industry is making record profits by reducing the hospitality experience for guests and leaving workers behind. But we know these giant hotel corporations can afford living wages, workloads that don’t break workers’ bodies, and reverse Covid-era cuts. We are in a new phase of this fight, with thousands of hotel workers ready to go on strike until we win what our families want.”

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