Embassy suites hotel workers near Lumen Field vote to strike Friday, threatening World Cup disruption

Hotel workers at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square are preparing to hold a strike vote on Friday, just weeks before the city hosts World Cup games.

Members of UNITE HERE Local 8, a union representing hospitality workers in Oregon and Washington, said the hotel is offering raises of less than $1 per year, while rejecting proposals for healthcare coverage, ICE notification protections, and adequate staffing. The hotel employees proposed for management to notify employees when agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were on the property. Management rejected this request.

“As a brown woman, I know ICE does not care whether you are a U.S. citizen,” Dom Kaur, a front desk agent, said. “What they are doing goes against my core moral beliefs. My dad needed asylum and, as a lawyer, now helps others. It is wrong for our bosses to sit there and say they cannot do anything about it.”

The union terminated its contract after it expired on May 31, stating a strike could begin immediately once authorized.

“The vote to authorize a strike is taking place this Friday, June 5,” UNITE HERE Local 8 wrote. “Once a strike is authorized, the union could call a strike at any time, including during the World Cup games.”

The hotel is located next to Lumen Field, where the World Cup games Seattle is hosting this year will be played. Workers and community groups argued the hotel stands to profit heavily during the World Cup and should provide stronger protections and fair pay.

“The market right now is bad for the whole country,” Stiliano Hibroj, an Embassy Suites banquet houseman, said in a press release. “Housing, bills, groceries – everything costs more. The raises the hotel is offering are ridiculous.”

“I am voting to strike for fair treatment from my employer for myself and my coworkers,” breakfast cook Quency Cummings added.

Workers have already held several informational pickets in front of the hotel, including one led by OneAmerica to bolster protections for immigrant workers.

“We make every effort to maintain a cooperative and productive relationship with the union that represents some of our Team Members at Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square, and we remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that benefits both our valued Team Members and our hotel,” an Embassy Suites at Hilton spokesperson told MyNorthwest. “There is currently no labor disruption at the hotel, and a strike vote does not mean that there will be a strike. We have contingency plans in place to ensure operations continue to run as smoothly as possible, and we are prepared to continue serving our guests with our signature hospitality.”

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