Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/ WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Workers at two hotels in Boston went on strike Sunday in their latest push for higher wages and sustainable workloads.
The hospitality union UNITE HERE said almost 600 employees of the Hilton Boston Park Plaza and Hilton Boston Logan Airport hotels are participating in the walkout.
Unlike previous hotel strikes over the past several weeks, this round is expected to last indefinitely until the workers and hotel companies reach a "mutually satisfactory agreement," the union said.
"The price of everything is up right now," Kevin Haynes, a longtime cook at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza hotel, said. "And our wages aren't cutting it."
Read More: Boston Hotel Workers Vote To Strike, Demanding Better Benefits And Wages
Workers with UNITE HERE Local 26 first walked out of their jobs at a handful of Boston hotels over Labor Day weekend after their contract expired at the end of August.
Weeks later, the union and the hotels have yet to reach an agreement.
A Hilton spokesperson said the company will continue to work toward a deal.
"While we disagree with many of the union’s current demands, we trust that we share the same goal which is to negotiate toward a fair and reasonable agreement that is beneficial to both our valued Team Members and our hotels," the spokesperson said.
Haynes called the strike "nerve-wracking."
"I believe it causes anxiety among some of our members, but we all have a common goal," Haynes said. "We all understand what's at the end of the rainbow for us."
His fellow employee, Habib Sharif, agreed that the strike needed to happen.
"If we don't do this, they won't take us seriously," Sharif said.
WBZ NewsRadio's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App | TikTok