I’m sure you’ve been hearing about the strikes by hotel workers across the country—but what’s really behind them? I wanted to go beyond the headlines and press releases and hear directly from the housekeepers, bartenders, waiters, and others who work in hospitality. So, I headed to the picket sites at hotels across San Francisco this afternoon to find out.
Listen now to hear:
- Why hotel workers feel management has stopped listening to them and what it’s like “talking to a brick wall” (01:26)
- How hotel workers’ hours have shrunk while they’re expected to do more with less people (01:58)
- About the profits hotels have made, even during lockdown, and how that contrasts with their current negotiating position (02:53)
- The challenges housekeepers face with fewer hours and dirtier rooms after the pandemic (04:42)
- How rising costs in San Francisco make it difficult for hotel workers to survive on current wages (05:33)
- How hotels are understaffing roles, forcing workers to take on multiple jobs (07:24)
- Hotel workers’ perspective that hotels have the profits to increase their pay but are being greedy (08:15)
A few more resources:
If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn this into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!
Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands
