Marriott Worker Strike Ends in Oakland, Continues in SF

A Marriott hotel worker strike that’s lasted more than a month has come to an end in Oakland but continues in San Francisco. 200 Oakland employees of the major hotel chain reached an agreement with management over the weekend, details of which haven’t been disclosed.

“On Saturday, members of Unite Here Local 2850 at the Oakland Marriott City Center ratified an agreement with Marriott, and ended our strike Sunday morning,” says a union representative. “We thank our allies who supported us in our fight for jobs that are enough to live on in Oakland. We will continue to support the thousands of workers who remain on strike at Marriott hotels across the Bay and across the country.”

Oakland Marriott workers have been on strike along with 8,000 peers nationwide, including roughly 2,500 workers in San Francisco and 300 in San Jose. Demands have included better pay, benefits, and job security. In San Francisco, an agreement between Unite Here local 2 and Marriott management has yet to be reached.

“Marriott’s position on affordable healthcare, fair wages, and ending unsafe workloads remains unreasonable and unfair to San Francisco hotel workers,” says Unite Here Local 2 president Anand Sing. “We hope that we’ll make progress soon, but Marriott’s always had the means to end this strike, and we’re prepared to fight for as long as it takes.”

Local Marriott hotels remain open along with their bars and restaurants, staffed by a skeleton crew of management and temporary workers bussed in from other parts of the state.

On Friday, the San Francisco board of Supervisors met with Marriott workers in a special hearing at City Hall. Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson declined an invitation to appear at the hearing.

• Oakland Marriott hotel workers reach agreement; SF strike continues [KTVU]
• Marriott workers reach strike deal in Oakland — SF labor action continues [SF Chronicle]