Workers at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale and the Hyatt Regency Greenwich say they’re increasingly frustrated by slow contract negotiations.
They are willing to walk off the job, joining thousands of other workers nationwide prepared to go on strike over what they say are low wages and poor working conditions.
Barbara Pearse Mabery, a lobby attendant at the Omni New Haven Hotel, participated in a rally this month in New Haven.
Pearse Mabery said the hotel is on solid financial footing, but many employees struggle to make ends meet.
That’s also according to UNITE HERE Local 34 Federation of University Employees, which represents the workers.
“Somehow in the times when we struggle the most, the Omni makes money,” Pearse Mabery said.
Pearse Mabery and others say hotel employees are also dealing with staffing shortages.
Union officials and advocates say the hospitality industry has recovered from the pandemic lockdowns which devastated much of the industry.
The Hyatt Regency Greenwich and Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale did not respond to Connecticut Public's requests for comment.
Union officials say many workers now make less when adjusted for inflation compared to before the pandemic. Wages have risen from a little over $18 per hour to just over $20 per hour.
While the workers have yet to gain new contracts, federal officials, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal are supporting their fight.
“The workers at the Omni are fighting for things every working person deserves. We have your backs until you win respect, fair wages, and an excellent standard,” Blumenthal said.
