Amid the Thanksgiving holiday, local hotel workers union have been striking in front of local hotels. Sergio Quintana reports.
This could be a very loud and sleepless Thanksgiving holiday for those visiting or staying in the San Francisco’s Union Square.
The sound of banging drums and people shouting on loudspeakers has been constant in the neighborhood for the last two months as members of a local hotel workers union have been striking in front of local hotels.
"it has been 60, 67 days. It's been a long time,” said Afong Lam.
Lam is a 12-year employee of the Westin St Francis at Union Square. Her union has been at a deadlock with the hotel ownership over three issues.
They oppose the owner's offer of what the union claims are reduced healthcare benefits for new employees. They also oppose the hotel's offer of a five year agreement, saying union members want a four year term.
Workers are also pushing for a higher wage that matches up with the cost-of-living increase in San Francisco over the last few years.
But union negotiators say they'll forgo the wage hike if the hotel ownership would agree to a profit-sharing arrangement. That's the idea behind their "Bet on SF" signs. But with negotiations at a standstill as the union is now expanding it's strike.
This week, 500 employees of the Marriott Marquis hotel walked off the job.
The addition of the Marriott Marquis employees means that there are now about 2,500 hotel employee on the picket lines at hotels across downtown San Francisco.
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Miguel Medina is among the Marriott Marquis workers who are joining the strike. He says other workers from outside San Francisco are also joining the picket lines.
“It means a lot to you know, having people from all over the country and other countries to support us,” he said.
NBC Bay Area reached out to Marriott International for comment But have not heard back.
A spokesman for the Hotel Council of San Francisco told NBC Bay Area that they are not part of the negotiations But hope an agreement is reached soon.
