On a sweltering Houston afternoon, the sound of chants rose from the steps of the Hilton Americas-Houston. Housekeepers in red UNITE HERE Local 23 union shirts waved picket signs, pastry chefs clutched water bottles on the line and laundry workers with decades of service shouted in unison for what they say has long been denied them: Dignity and a livable wage.
For weeks, the city’s largest hotel has been the backdrop for a standoff between its workers, many of whom earn less than $17 an hour. The global hospitality giant is unwilling to meet their demand for $23.
The strike has drawn wide attention not only from fellow union members, but also from local and national politicians who say the fight represents a broader struggle to preserve the American middle class.
The Harris County Democratic Party postponed a 1,400-person gala at the hotel and Mayor John Whitmire postponed the State of the City address, which was scheduled for Sept. 25.
Workers have been extending their strike, with an expectation to end on Oct. 12, provided negotiations are favorable.
A Hilton spokesperson said in an email that the organization is currently negotiating a new contract with UNITE HERE Local 23 and is “ fully engaged in the bargaining process.”
“The union has chosen to pull our Team Members out on strike and while we respect their right to do so, we do not believe the union’s decision to strike is in the best interests of our Team Members,” the spokesperson said. “As part of these discussions, we’re committed to providing enhanced economic benefits for our valued Team Members, including wage increases and continued health and retirement coverage.”
A pay that doesn’t match the work
For veteran Hilton Americas-Houston employee Lashay Hampton, nearly 22 years in laundry service has meant long hours and grueling work, but little financial stability. She started in 2003 at $7.65 an hour. Today, she makes $16.50, a wage she says has not kept pace with Houston’s rising costs.
“In laundry, it’s a 1,200-room hotel and we run laundry with 12 people,” Hampton explained, amounting to a hundred rooms per person, every single day. “We do thousands and thousands and thousands of pounds of linen every day.”
Hampton’s fight is deeply personal. Her husband suffered two strokes earlier this year and lost mobility on his right side, leaving her the sole breadwinner.
“Right now, I’m the husband and the wife for my household,” she said. “That’s why I’m standing out on the strike line demanding my raise with my team members to support my family.”
Other workers echoed her concerns. One longtime employee said, despite years of service, wages have barely climbed above $14 to $16.50 an hour, leaving many struggling to cover rent, utilities and basic necessities.
Pastry chef Kenyatta Otis, who relocated from Seattle to Houston, said she has lost $2,200 in annual pay compared to her previous job, despite her culinary degrees and years of experience.
“We were promised 38 to 40 hours a week,” Otis, who gets paid hourly, said. “If there’s no events going on, then we got four, five hours for the whole month of August.”
Union pushes for $23 an hour
The striking workers, organized under their union, are calling for a base wage of $23 an hour, a figure they say reflects Houston’s cost of living and the scale of their work.
Union representative William Gonzalez confirmed that Hilton had made a counter-proposal, but it fell “way short” of the demand, offering wages below $20 an hour. He added that more than 70% of the Hilton workforce is currently striking.
The workers cited the MIT living wage calculator, which suggests that an adequate living wage in Houston should be around $30.97 per hour. They argued that despite Houston’s hotel industry posting record gains in 2024, including a 15.5% revenue increase to $3 billion, they have not shared in the prosperity and continue to struggle financially. The union has also started a strike fund, which has raised more than $15,000 so far.
“We’re continuing to fight and strike,” Gonzalez said. More than 70% of the hotel’s staff have joined the strike, reducing Hilton’s operations to roughly 30% of its workforce.
The push for $23 is not just about paychecks, workers argue. It’s about dignity. “Our vacation and sick time should be for rest, not to make up for lost wages,” Otis said. “Anybody off the street shouldn’t be making the same as someone with years of experience and training”.
Calls for an audit
https://unitehere.app.box.com/s/piwu1eif1pgesmcn98sgg1qposjodb5r
UNITE HERE Local 23 has called for an audit and submitted a letter on Sept. 17 to the Houston City Council requesting a full audit of Houston First Corporation (HFC), which owns Hilton. The union argues that public dollars funded the Hilton Americas-Houston hotel and the George R. Brown Convention Center, yet key financial and contractual information remains inaccessible to the public.
Their public requests for event schedules, hotel management agreements and financial performance data were denied, redacted or left unresolved. Requests regarding vendor contracts (e.g., Quilt Festival, Dairy Deli Bakery Association) are pending review by the Texas Attorney General.
The union has raised transparency concerns regarding meeting agendas and minutes, which lack attachments of reports and datasets, board meetings that are not livestreamed or recorded and limited public access.
A 2020 audit only examined procurement and contract compliance with the City, not vendor agreements or hotel occupancy tax collection. A 2025 follow-up audit only addressed deficiencies from 2020, not broader operational or transparency issues. Past controversies include the 2018 revelation that Houston First employees were paid through a private entity (CCSI) with $20 million in tax funds without clear disclosure.
The union has called for an audit of vendor selection and evaluation processes, vendor agreements, performance and payments, including incentives, HFC’s labor relations communications, all revenues, especially Hotel Occupancy Tax collections and audits, public records request protocols and comparisons of HFC vendor contracts (e.g., Hilton, Levy’s) with those in other cities.
Political and community support
The strike has attracted a wave of political support. Over 30 elected officials, from city councilmembers to congressional representatives, have marched alongside workers or sent letters pressing Hilton to negotiate in good faith.
“I’m standing with the workers as they strike for fair wages ’cause they wanna be able to experience what it’s like to go home and not have to work a second job,” State Rep. Charlene Ward Johnson told the Defender. “They’re not just working or standing for just this hotel, but for all workers in all hotels.”
Harris County Commissioners also voiced strong support for Hilton Americas workers on strike. Commissioner Rodney Ellis praised the workers’ determination, noting that they are leading Texas’ first major hospitality strike and could set the standard for hotels across Houston. Commissioner Adrian Garcia reflected on his own upbringing, recalling his mother’s work as a janitor and his father’s late nights helping her clean offices.
“This, for me, is more about family and a livable wage,” Garcia said. “You are reflective of my mother. Things like this always remind me of what she did for me, the sacrifices she made for my brothers, me and my sister.”
