Hotel workers in the Bay Area are walking out on a strike to call for better work conditions and fair wages from one of the biggest hotel companies in the world — the Marriott.
A number of workers gathered outside Marriott hotels, Westin hotels and The W, owned by Marriott, in San Jose and San Francisco early Thursday morning, holding red and white picket signs that read "On Stirke."
Unite Here, the organizer of the strikes, say that workers have had enough after months of negotiations with the hotel "left workers without a deal on livable incomes, ending unsafe overwork, and job security."
Leonarda Pineda of San Jose has been working for Marriott for 25 years and she says she’ll stay on the picket line as long as it takes to get a contract allowing her to live in Silicon Valley with one job.
Over 2,500 workers are striking in San Francisco and over 200 are in San Jose, according to the organizers.
Marriott International expressed in a statement its disappointment in Unite Here's strike.
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"Marriott's current economic proposal matches the economic terms in the parties' last contract, which included the largest increases in the parties' bargaining history," the hotel giant said. "We have not proposed any changes to our associates' health, welfare or retirement benefits. During the strike our hotels are open, and we stand ready to provide excellent service to our guests. While we respect our associates’ rights to participate in this work stoppage, we also will welcome any associate who chooses to continue to work."
The hotel chain also faces other walkouts in Boston, Honolulu, Detroit, San Diego and Seattle.
NBC Bay Area's Kris Sanchcez contributed to this report.
Nicholas Javier, a server at the Westin Hotel in San Francisco, says @Marriott hasn't taken workers' concerns seriously. That's why thousands of hotel workers are striking in the Bay Area to demand for fair wages. #MarriottStrike https://t.co/O5mKbj2gJH pic.twitter.com/FJAHFrN5V6 — NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) October 4, 2018
