Weeks after voting to authorize a strike, unionized hotel workers at the Hilton hotel in Baltimore were unable to reach an agreement with the company before their collective bargaining agreement expires Thursday.
According to Tracy Lingo, president of Unite Here Local 7, “without an agreement that works for everyone, a strike is possible at any time.”
Representatives and members of the Baltimore chapter of Unite Here Local 7 had been negotiating with the city-owned hotel for wage increases and better working conditions comparable to those in nearby cities such as Washington and Philadelphia, where workers earn at least $10 more per hour.
Negotiations have been ongoing since November, before the collective agreement expired in February but was later extended until August. In the absence of an agreement, workers will begin applying for strike pay and putting up picket signs today as a strike draws ever closer.
Union officials and members will meet this afternoon at 1800 N. Charles St. to discuss why the hotel and members have been unable to reach an agreement and to discuss the timing of the expected strike.
About 200 Hilton union members participated in a vote against renewing their collective bargaining agreement on August 9, which passed with 97% approval. They joined thousands of workers across the country who began voting this month at Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott and other hotels to authorize a strike.
Lingo previously said the lowest-paid employees at the 757-room Hilton — such as housekeeping, dishwashers and banquet staff — make $16.20 an hour. Hotel workers in the District recently negotiated a $33 hourly wage at the end of their five-year contracts. In Philadelphia, about two hours from Baltimore, employees make about $23 an hour.
Lingo and union members, along with Courtney Jenkins, president of the Metropolitan Baltimore Central Labor Council, met with City Council members Zeke Cohen and Ryan Dorsey and District 8 Council member-elect Paris Gray for a roundtable discussion on August 21.
“One job should be enough. They shouldn’t all have to go to the grocery store or work multiple jobs just to make ends meet,” said Cohen, who is expected to become the city’s next council president.
Last week, Lingo confirmed that negotiations with the hotel company had been successful in the past, after a company spokesperson also claimed the same. However, this round of negotiations had been disappointing, she said.
“We have had good negotiations with them in the past. But until recently – and we have been negotiating since November – we would say that they actually came and were willing to actually negotiate and try to find a solution,” Lingo said.
“It doesn’t matter what you did in the past. What matters is what you do now,” she added.
Lisa Cole, a spokeswoman for Hilton in the Americas, said in an Aug. 12 statement that the company was committed to an agreement with Local 7.
“Hilton has a long-standing track record of negotiating collective bargaining agreements with Unite Here Local 7 and is committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that benefits both our valued Team Members and our hotels,” Cole wrote.
The Hilton is not the only hotel in the city currently in contract negotiations. Hyatt Regency, another downtown hotel at 300 Light St., another 115 workers are also in collective bargaining. Unite Here Local 7 is also preparing to take the next steps to represent Hyatt in the upcoming negotiations.
This story will be updated.
