Union hotel workers at the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District went on strike Saturday morning as they seek a new contract with their employer.
The workforce includes 57 room attendants, cooks, bartenders, and other hospitality workers, according to Mat Wranovics, a researcher for Unite Here Local 274.
RLJ Lodging Trust, which owns the hotel, was not immediately available for comment.
Workers are seeking a wage increase, Wranovics said. The current average hotel worker salary is $22.11.
“Inflation has hit our members really hard,” said Wranovics.
The union’s priorities include increased staffing and a decreased workload — in particular, a reduction to the number of hotel rooms that staff are expected to clean each day.
Other hotel workers have spoken about this issue recently; last month, local unionized Hampton employees went on strike with similar demands. Hotel workers there said they’re being asked to turn over 16 rooms each day, leaving them with no time for lunch, and the risk of facing discipline for failing to meet standards, if one room takes longer than a half hour to clean.
Since then, Hampton workers have secured a new contract, which included a $3.50 per hour raise and a reduction in their daily quota, down to 15 rooms per day, Wranovics said.
The staff at seven hotels in Philadelphia, including Wyndham, are currently negotiating new contracts.
This is a developing story that will be updated.