Sacramento hotel workers reach labor deal with Sheraton Grand Hotel after strike, bargaining
Following nearly five months of bargaining and a one-day strike, union-represented hotel workers have reached a labor agreement with the Sheraton Grand Hotel downtown.
The union chapter, Unite Here Local 49, said the deal will bring wages for housekeepers — the largest group of hotel workers — to $26 per hour over the term of the four-year contract, up from $19.
“It provides for significant wage increases,” said union president Aamir Deen. “Overall, it just makes these jobs much more sustainable. And sets the Sheraton Grand up for success in the future.”
The previous contract expired in June.
Hotel workers told the Bee earlier this summer that their wages haven’t kept up with inflation, and that staffing hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels, leaving remaining employees with larger workloads and unpredictable schedules.
Union workers gathered outside the hotel in early September and voted to empower the guild to convene a strike, should contract negotiations stall. Around 140 workers held a 14-hour strike in early October.
“We believe Sacramento is really becoming more of a hospitality town,” Deen said. “In order to provide the kind of hospitality that makes a town successful, you’ve really got to take care of the workers.”
The union protected employees’ health benefits, and secured contract language to ensure more stability in their schedules, Deen said. The union did not win its proposal to establish Juneteenth as a paid holiday.
Nationally, the Unite Here union has launched strikes this year against Marriott, Hilton Worldwide and Hyatt Hotels, with aims of drawing attention to their complaints about wages and staffing. Strikes are still underway in Boston, Honolulu and San Francisco.
Sheraton is a brand of Marriott International. Company representatives did not respond to messages seeking comment Wednesday.
The union will soon begin negotiations with the Citizen Hotel downtown, Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown Arena and the Hilton Sacramento Arden West.
This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 4:29 PM.
