FORT WORTH, Texas — On the heels of the victory of the 40-day strike by members of UNITE HERE Local 23 at the Hilton hotel in Houston, some 100 food service workers at the nearby George R. Brown Convention Center ratified a new contract Nov. 6 with 25% wage increases.
Many workers there, also members of Local 23, were making $16 an hour.
The victory at Hilton “helped us to get a good contract,” Adriana Rodriguez, a convention center server, told NPR. Her wages will rise from $19 to $24 an hour by the end of the three-year contract.
The convention center workers are employed by Levy Premium Food Services. The new contract also covers food service workers at the Wortham Theater Center, Miller Outdoor Theatre and Jones Hall. The contract will improve job scheduling and safety protections.
“The Hilton fight definitely set a new precedent,” Franchesca Caraballo, Local 23 president, told Houston Public Media. “Workers are looking at it, like, ‘OK, well that’s the new standard. So we’re not going to accept anything less.’”
About 350 UNITE HERE members at the nearby Marriott Marquis are preparing to negotiate their contract after it expired Oct. 1. The contract for another 600 union dining and retail workers employed by OTG expires Dec. 1.