Members of Philadelphia City Council joined hotel workers represented by the UNITE HERE Local 274 union outside City Hall for the public release of a new report titled “2026 at Risk: Philly’s ‘Tourism Year’ and the Crisis in the Hospitality Industry.”
“World-class cities have world-class workers, and world-class workers deserve world-class pay,” Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta said.
The report highlights the risk of strikes and economic disruption during major events scheduled for 2026, including the FIFA World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game and America 250 — and comes days after a four-day strike at two Center City hotels, with workers in eight hotels currently negotiating contracts and fighting for improvements to wages, healthcare, pension and staffing levels.
“We also want to make sure when we are bringing big events like this to our city, we’re making sure that they just don’t profit the companies and entities that are making a profit off them, really profiting the people of this city. That’s who should be benefitting from these events,” Rosslyn Wuchinich, the president of UNITE HERE Local 274, said.
Monica Burkes has been a restaurant server and bartender for more than 17 years. She said her hotel is one where workers have voted unanimously to strike if a deal is not reached.
“Hotel workers are standing up and saying, ‘We’re not taking it anymore,'” Burkes said. “We’re looking for $2 more than what we’re getting, it’s not a big thing. We’re not asking for thousands of dollars, just something so we can sustain a good wage.”
Analysts predict tourism in 2026 will bring in more than $1 billion to the city of Philadelphia. Hospitality workers said all they are asking for is what’s fair and that their fight is far from over.