The Greater Boston Labor Council’s annual Labor Day breakfast was relocated to Statler Park on Monday due to a strike by UNITE HERE Local 26 members. Nearly 900 hotel workers from Hilton Logan Airport, Hilton-Hampton Inn Boston Seaport, Fairmont Copley Plaza, and Hilton Park Plaza walked off the job, demanding better wages, improved benefits, and safer working conditions. This strike is part of a larger nationwide action involving 15,000 workers across eight cities. High-profile attendees, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, will join the breakfast at its new location to support the striking workers.
Boston, MA — September 4, 2024 — The annual Labor Day breakfast in Boston was relocated on Monday due to an ongoing strike by nearly 900 hotel workers at four prominent hotels. The strike, which began Sunday morning, has affected the Hilton Logan Airport, Hilton-Hampton Inn Boston Seaport, Fairmont Copley Plaza, and Hilton Park Plaza.
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The Greater Boston Labor Council decided to move the event from its original location to Statler Park, directly across from the Boston Park Plaza, where striking workers have set up a picket line. The breakfast, a significant gathering for Democrats and union leaders, was relocated to draw attention to the workers’ demands and to show solidarity with their cause.
Attendees, including prominent figures like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Gov. Maura Healey, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, are expected to join the picket line after the breakfast.
The strike is part of a larger nationwide action organized by UNITE HERE Local 26, the union representing hospitality workers in Boston and Rhode Island. The strike involves approximately 10,000 hotel workers across 25 hotels in cities including Honolulu, San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, and Seattle. In total, around 15,000 workers nationwide have voted to authorize strikes.
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UNITE HERE Local 26 began negotiations in April, seeking wages that reflect Boston’s high cost of living, along with a pension, improved benefits, measures to prevent on-the-job injuries, and a reversal of staffing cuts made during the pandemic. The union represents a wide range of hotel employees, including room attendants, housepersons, front desk agents, bellpersons, doorpersons, restaurant servers, cooks, dishwashers, bartenders, and banquet workers.
The union stated that thousands of its members have signed up for strike benefits and picket line schedules, demonstrating the strong support for the action among its membership.
The strike and its impact on Labour Day events underscore the ongoing labor struggles in the hospitality industry, particularly in high-cost cities like Boston. With more cities and hotels potentially joining the action, the union’s demands could have far-reaching implications for the industry.
As negotiations continue, the presence of political leaders at the picket line on Labor Day highlights the importance of the issue and the potential for further actions if an agreement is not reached.
The relocation of the Labor Day breakfast to Statler Park serves as a powerful symbol of solidarity with the striking workers. As the strike continues, all eyes will be on the negotiations and the response from both the hotel industry and political leaders, who are closely monitoring the situation.
