93-day hotel strikes in San Francisco conclude with Mayor-Elect Lurie’s role in bringing both sides to negotiating table

SAN FRANCISCO — After a 93-day strike, 2,500 hotel workers with the UNITE HERE Local 2 union in San Francisco concluded the city's longest hotel strike in history on Christmas eve, December 24, 2024. Mayor-Elect Daniel Lurie was credited for playing a significant role in bringing both sides to the negotiating tables and resolving differences in order to reach new contracts.

"Hotel strike is officially over," said Lurie on social media on Christmas eve to announce the end of the 93-day-long hotel strike. "All those that have been out on strike will be back to work and just a time for Christmas. So things are looking bright as we head into 2025, we're going to fill up those hotel rooms."

"Those workers are going to be working hard and we're going to bring the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, the NBA All-Star Game and so many other things that we have to look forward to in the new year," Lurie added.

Prior to the November 5, 2024 election, UNION HERE Local 2 endorsed Supervisor Aaron Peskin as their candidate running for San Francisco Mayor. Neither Peskin or Mayor London Breed who ran for re-election were able to end the strike.

Lurie started talking to both sides after he won the mayoral race and bringing the hotel managers to the table. It was considered as Lurie's first political victory although it happened before he officially took the office.

The 2,500 workers who were on strike were from hotels operated by Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott in San Francisco. They included housekeepers, cooks, dishwashers, servers, bartenders, bellhops, doormen, and more.

After months of contract negotiations, over 10,000 hotel workers across the U.S. went on strike starting Labor Day weekend, including Baltimore, Boston, Honolulu, Kauai, New Haven, Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, San Mateo County and Seattle. The San Francisco strikes were the last to end among 11 cities and the longest in San Francisco history.

According to UNITE HERE Local 2, most workers on limited duration strikes ended after two or three days. San Francisco became the last one to conclude the strike which lasted for 93 days.

During the 93-day strike, workers and supporters were staying outside hotels from early morning to late night hours in sun and rain.

Among three hotel chain managements in San Francisco, the Hilton ratification settled the last of the city’s 2024 hotel strikes following Hyatt and Marriott respectively.

The union cautioned that more strikes would be possible in 2025 and urged the city's other full-service hotels also would accept the same standard.

The new contract is now in place at hotels operated by Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott. The union said they would demand other full-service hotels in San Francisco honor the new contracts with same standard.

The contracts which were newly-reached by both the management and union included preserving workers’ union health insurance plan, which would provide quality affordable health care for workers and their families; an immediate $3/hour wage increase and additional raises throughout the life of the contract; increased pensions; new protections against understaffing and workload increases; and four-year term expiring in 2028.

“These 93 days have not been easy, and I’m so proud that my coworkers and I never gave up,” said Bill Fung, a housekeeping attendant at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square for 29 years. “We stood together through the rain and cold, and even though there were some hard days, it was all worth it. We will go back to work with our health care, good raises, and the confidence of knowing that when we fight, we win.”