NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale workers are set to return to work after a four-day strike, according to the secretary-treasurer of Local 217-UNITE HERE Josh Stanley Sunday.
After union members marched and chanted at the picket line, beginning Thursday at 5 a.m. and continuing through Sunday, Stanley said workers will continue negotiating while resuming work at the hotel Monday morning. According to Stanley, the workers "had always planned a limited duration strike."
“The strike of the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale has been an awesome display of unity and courage," Stanley said in a statement. "We will return to work Monday morning and will continue to negotiate with the Omni this week."
He added, "Our fight continues. Omni workers are ready to do whatever it takes to win, and this remains an active labor dispute."
The strike consisted of over 120 workers from the hotel, including housekeepers, cooks, servers, bartenders, and bellmen, protesting over "painful workloads and wages that aren’t enough to afford the skyrocketing cost of living," a Yale Unions spokesperson said.
“We want, I want, and they want better wages, good pension, good healthcare, and we don’t want to lose jobs,” Reyna Ortiz, a waitress at Omni New Haven, said Friday.
Union members previously said that the negotiations have been going on since November without success. The workers' previous contract expired on March 31.
According to the union, hotel workers from across the country are on strike after hotels "took advantage of the pandemic by cutting staffing and suspending guest services that were never restored, causing workers to lose jobs and income-and creating painful working conditions for those who carry the increased workload."
Hotel guests are urged by the union to read their travel guide on how to prepare for possible hotel strikes, and can visit FairHotel.org to learn which hotels are on strike.
The union organizer said Thursday that guests who arrived for their stay decided to leave because of what was going on outside the hotel. It is unclear if the guests left to support the workers.
Omni New Haven Hotel provided the following statement Friday evening:
"Omni Hotels & Resorts Statement: New Haven, Conn.- Out of respect for all parties, Omni won't comment on the status of the negotiations except to say that we remain committed to bargaining in good faith to reach a contract agreeable to all parties. Unfortunately, as has occurred recently in other markets, the union has determined that a strike is in its interest. In view of this labor action, the Hotel has put in place plans to ensure services are not interrupted and that our guests will continue to experience the genuine hospitality, personalized service and elevated experiences that are the hallmark of the Omni New Haven Hotel." - Tiffani Cailor Torrence, director Corporate Communications/Public Relations, Omni Hotels & Resorts
Read FOX61's previous coverage of the strike below:
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Sean Humphrey is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at shumphrey@fox61.com.
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