Hundreds of striking hotel workers at the Hilton Americas-Houston will remain on the picket line through Sept. 20, union officials announced Tuesday, marking an eleven-day extension of a “historic” strike.
Speaking to the Houston City Council on Tuesday, UNITE HERE Local 23 union official Willy Gonzalez said the workers are seeking a $23 hourly wage — a significant raise from the current base rate of $16.50. He said management so far has offered an immediate one-dollar raise to $17.50, followed by a 75-cent increase in January and additional 50-cent raises every six months.
“No one can deny that hotel is extremely profitable,” Gonzalez said. “It’s doing well, but the people who have made that hotel a success — that hotel that was built with public money, that hotel that was entrusted to do right by the people of Houston, has betrayed these people and the city of Houston.”
The union’s collective bargaining contract with the hotel expired on June 30, and the strike began on Sept. 1 with an original end date of Tuesday. According to organizers, this is the first hospitality workers’ strike of its kind in modern Texas history.
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A Hilton Americas corporate spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the extension or Gonzalez’s remarks about the ongoing negotiations. A Hilton spokesperson previously said the hotel’s management “makes every effort to maintain a cooperative and productive relationship with UNITE HERE Local 23, a union that represents some of the team members at the hotel.”
“We remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that is beneficial to both our valued team members and to the hotel,” the spokesperson said when the strike began.
Workers filled the Houston City Hall on Tuesday as some union members spoke about their grievances during the city council’s public comment session. They spoke about not receiving enough money to keep up with their bills or take care of their family.
They also criticized Houston First, the city’s local government corporation, which owns the hotel, for a perceived lack of transparency. Union officials issued four demands of Houston First: regular public meetings, video streams of public meetings, detailed meeting minutes, and an audit.
“A lot of money flows through Houston First, and we tend to think of them as being separate from the city, but really they are the city,” said council member Julian Ramirez. “It’s just like another department within city government, and they should be transparent. My understanding is they meet quarterly. They should be meeting monthly, and minutes should be published promptly.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Houston First said the corporation is “proud of the work we do at Houston First to create value for our local community by promoting the region.” They also pointed out the organization’s board includes two members of the city council, Joaquin Martinez and Twila Carter, as ex-officio members.
“Additionally, all of our board and committee meetings are open to the public and are posted on our website and through the City of Houston in accordance with rules governing such meetings,” the Houston First spokesperson wrote. “We work very closely with the administration, city council, as well as other elected officials and our broader stakeholder community to maintain open communication on our work.”
The strike comes as the city prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches in 2026 — and as other hospitality and tourism companies face looming contract expirations later this year, including with the unions at the nearby Marriott Marquis hotel, Houston First’s George R. Brown Convention Center and the Bush Intercontinental Airport.
According to data from Houston First, hotels in the city experienced a 7.7% increase in occupancy and a 15.5% increase in revenue in 2024. As of July 2025, Houston’s hotel revenue was down 6.1% so far this year.
During the meeting on Tuesday, council members Abbie Kamin and Edward Pollard shared outright solidarity with the union. Council members Tiffany Thomas, Joaquin Martinez, Letitia Plummer, Martha Castex-Tatum, Mario Castillo, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz and Tarsha Jackson have also shown up at the picket line, according to the union.
“I think it’s important to note the historical nature of the strike that you all are leading, as the first of its kind in the state of Texas,” Kamin said. “All eyes are on you right now, not only fighting for yourselves and your families, but all hospitality workers in the state of Texas.”
