Will Hilton Bayfront hotel workers approve new contract following short-lived strike?

After striking for less than 24 hours this week, hundreds of workers at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront will convene Saturday to vote on a new contract proposal that union leaders believe will satisfy the needs of their members.

Unite Here Local 30, which represents nearly 600 workers at the 1,190-room hotel, has not disclosed the details of the tentative agreement, but the terms are likely to include pay raises higher than the $2.50-an-hour increase the hotel had proposed for an 18-month period.

In an effort to push the Hilton toward a more favorable contract proposal, the union decided to call a strike late Tuesday after both sides reached an impasse over wages and other work-related issues.

Unite Here leaders have said that the strike, in concert with strong support from a number of local elected leaders, helped persuade the Hilton hotel to come back to the union Wednesday night with an improved offer. Pleased with the proposal, the union leadership subsequently called off the strike.

“This tentative agreement addresses the many issues our hotel workers are experiencing in this tough economic environment,” local Unite Here president Brigette Browning said Wednesday night.

The union will hold a morning and evening session Saturday for workers, who will at that time learn the specific terms of the new agreement and then vote on whether to ratify it, said Rick Bates, director of policy for the union.

Before leaving the bargaining table Tuesday night, Hilton negotiators had rejected a union proposal of a $4-an-hour pay increase over a two-year period. Unite Here had also demanded that the hotel drop its pandemic-era policy of no longer cleaning hotel rooms daily unless guests request it in advance. The union estimates that the now common practice in many hotels has led to 30 percent fewer hours for room attendants.

Hourly pay for non-tipped workers at the Hilton — including housekeepers, stewards, cooks and front desk agents — ranges from $19.30 to $20.65.