Housekeepers, cooks, servers and other Hilton San Diego Bayfront workers went on strike for a third day Tuesday.
Unite Here Local 30’s contract with the hotel expired Sunday. The union is asking for a $5 annual increase to workers’ hourly wages for three years.
“The lowest paid folks here are making $24 an hour, which might seem like a decent wage,” said Brigette Browning, president of Unite Here Local 30. “But if you're paying $2,000, $2,500, $3,000 for rent, which is the reality for the majority of our members — they're not homeowners — it doesn't go very far.”
Martin Duarte, a lead cook at the hotel, said a pay increase would allow him to put money into savings or an emergency fund.
“Right now, my pay is $28 an hour, which is just barely enough — not even enough — to make it with rent, with the cost of groceries, with utilities,” he said. “I can't afford a $500 emergency. I don't have that.”
The union also said many staffing cuts made during the pandemic were never restored, leaving the remaining staff with heavier workloads.
Thousands of hotel workers across the country went on strike over Labor Day weekend. Workers in other cities planned to end their strikes after a few days, but the Hilton Bayfront workers said they’ll continue until they reach an agreement.
In a statement, a Hilton spokesperson said the Hilton San Diego Bayfront is “committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that is beneficial to both our valued team members and to our hotel.”
The San Diego Tourism Authority reported an uptick in demand for hotel rooms in the second half of August. In the week of Aug. 18 to 24, the authority said room demand was on par with 2019 levels and higher than the same week in 2023.
