Center City hospitality employees represented by UNITE HERE Local 274 are striking on Sunday at two Philadelphia hotels with expired contracts.
The staffers on strike include hotel room attendants, cooks and bartenders, among other hospitality roles, represented by UNITE HERE Local 274. The union members started walking the picket line at 5 a.m. Sunday outside of the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown and Hampton Inn Philadelphia Center City-Convention Center, as they fight to secure a better contract ahead of the 2026 tourism boost.
The hospitality workers are demanding wage and pension increases, improved health care plans and calling for the elimination of any understaffing.
“They’re talking about tourism bringing in a billion dollars next year,” Hampton Inn room attendant Tanay Nibblins wrote in the union’s strike announcement, “Without the work we do, there is no tourism. We know what we’re worth. The time to pay us what we need is right now.”
The spotlight will be on Philadelphia in 2026, with the city hosting several notable events as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary. Philadelphia is set to host the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, as well as several FIFA World Cup matches.
“City leaders are betting big that these events will translate to a major economic [boom] for the local economy,” the strike announcement read in part. “Philadelphia hotel workers are fighting to secure economic gains ahead of these blockbuster events.”
According to the strike announcement, hotel workers’ wages haven’t kept up with inflation, leaving workers struggling to provide for their families’ basic needs. This issue, combined with understaffing, has left fewer workers to work longer hours.
UNITE HERE Local 274 has created a website where visitors can view the latest information regarding the strikes at Philadelphia hotels.
The Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown is owned by Miami-based private investment firm Cambridge Landmark, and the Hampton Inn Philadelphia Center City-Convention Center is owned by Blackstone Real Estate Investment Trust, BREIT, according to the strike announcement.
CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to Marriott International for comment, but has not yet heard back.
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