Hotel strikes could hit three US cities
Workers at some big hotels in Chicago, San Francisco and Honolulu have voted to authorize a walkout if they can't reach a new contract agreement. Ashley Milne-Tyte looks at the potential impact.
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LISA NAPOLI: Hope you’re not headed to a hotel in Chicago, San Francisco or Honolulu anytime soon. Employees are threatening to strike. Ashley Milne-Tyte has details.
ASHLEY MILNE-TYTE: It’s been a banner year for hotels, with room rates and occupancy both up.
Bobby Bowers is with Smith Travel Research. He says Chicago and San Francisco in particular are big convention markets, and the busy fall season’s just about to kick off.
If workers at some of the big hotels were to walk out, he says, the effects could be widespread.
BOBBY BOWERS:“You’re concerned not only about the actual properties that are involved in the strike itself, but also kind of a halo effect. I mean you may have some people that just want to avoid the markets completely.”
Bowers says hotels are keen to avert a strike, but they’ll have to work hard: The two sides are far apart on wages and healthcare.
I’m Ashley Milne-Tyte for Marketplace.
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