Sacramento hotel workers are considering a strike. It’s about more than money
About 140 workers at the Sheraton Grand Hotel will decide Wednesday whether to authorize their union to call a strike.
Workers, including housekeepers, attendants, cooks and servers, are demanding higher wages and a reversal of pandemic-era staffing reductions. If the vote passes, a strike wouldn’t occur immediately, but union negotiators would have the power to call a strike if contract talks are unsuccessful.
Aamir Deen, president of Unite Here Local 49, said wages at the Sheraton have not kept up with inflation, which leaves little incentive for employees to stay long term. The union is also pushing to include language in the contract that places limits on employees’ workloads, which have grown since the staffing shortages of the pandemic.
“The job has really become unsustainable,” Deen said. “There needs to be a major correction.”
Housekeepers — one of the largest categories of union workers at the hotel — typically make about $19 per hour. At some of the casinos outside of Sacramento, the union members make $3 to $4 more than that, Deen said. The union has been pushing to bring Sheraton housekeepers’ wages closer to that level.
Sheraton is a brand of Marriott. Company representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Shamika Ofaire, 38, a mother of three from Elk Grove, said she loves working as an attendant at the hotel, cleaning the lobby and other public areas. It allows her to meet people from all over the world. But on Wednesday she voted in favor of allowing the union to call a strike, because she said her wages aren’t enough to get by.
“They never gave us raises to catch up to the economy,” Ofaire said. “I’m spending more money and getting fewer groceries.”
The previous contract expired June 30. The union said negotiations are ongoing.
“We’re still really far apart, and that’s why the workers are making this difficult decision,” Deen said.
Workers were scheduled to vote between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The workers unionized about 20 years ago, shortly after the hotel opened, Deen said.
“I’m hopeful that we can get through this without a big disruption,” Deen said. But, he added, “People are ready. And people are tired of being treated like they’re not the most important part of the hotel.”
This story was originally published September 11, 2024 at 12:16 PM.
