Coinciding with 鈥楳ay Day鈥� protests across the country against the Trump administration, workers in Miami鈥檚 hospitality industry rallied Thursday for a union contract that would include increased workplace protections and fairer wages.
Hundreds of workers and union supporters from Miami-Dade and Broward trotted into downtown Miami to support the rally.
鈥淚 have a family, I have a partner and I need to pay my mortgage,鈥� said Jose Barbato, a banquet server at Hyatt Regency Miami. He said he's worked at the hotel for 19 years doing long, physically demanding shifts.
Hotel workers at the Hyatt Regency Miami have gone without a union contract since December 31, according to a representative from UNITE HERE Local 355, the union representing thousands of South Florida workers in the hospitality sector, one of the region's largest employers because of the tourism industry.
鈥淎s we all know, workers today in this country have to stand up and fight for themselves and it鈥檚 really up to us. It鈥檚 up to us to protect each other, to stand up for each other鈥檚 rights and to make sure that workers can make a wage that they can live on," said Wendi Walsh, the secretary treasurer for UNITE HERE Local 355 and general vice president for the international union.
The union is calling for wages that would match the cost of living in South Florida, which has one of the nation's most expensive housing markets.
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An average Hyatt hotel room attendant earns about $16.75 an hour, according to the union. The workers have reported to the union that they struggle to pay bills, and some have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet.
鈥淲e have offered competitive wages, health care and retirement benefits at the hotel,鈥� wrote Michael D鈥橝ngelo, Hyatt's head of labor relations, in a statement via email to SA国际传谋.
鈥淎ll employees' wages and benefits remain unchanged as we negotiate a new agreement," he said. "We look forward to continuing to negotiate a fair contract and recognize the contributions of Hyatt employees.鈥�
Affordable housing 鈥� both rental and homeownership 鈥� remains a major public policy challenge in Miami-Dade and throughout South Florida.
A found 62% of Miami-Dade renters are cost burdened 鈥� meaning they spend more than half their income on rent 鈥� and that 鈥渆viction filing rates have now exceeded pre-pandemic numbers.鈥�
Another listed the Miami metro area as the second most unaffordable for renters, ahead of New York, Los Angeles and Boston. Only Providence, Rhode Island, ranked higher than Miami.
