PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — More than 100 Omni Hotel employees rallied in front of the Providence location on Wednesday.
Workers say they will go on strike Wednesday, Aug. 7, as they push for better pay and working conditions.
Contracts for workers at the Omni, Renaissance and Graduate hotels have either already expired or will by the end of this year, according to the union.
The union is demanding a significant boost in their wages and benefits, telling 12 News no one should be making less than $26 an hour by the year 2028.
Workers say right now they are making between $18 and $19 an hour and that is not enough to keep up with the current economy.
“What’s really tough right now, with the economy and the situation that we are in, prices are going up, my rent has gone up $500 in the past couple of years, so it’s really, really, tough, and I am really struggling,” banquet houseperson George Cook said.
“I’m working two jobs at this time and I am working seven days a week,” room inspector Shakira Abad added. “I want to create a better life for my children so they can go to a good school and most importantly I want to be able to buy a house, so they make them pay.”
12 News has reached out to the Omni, Renaissance and Graduate hotels for comment but has not yet heard back.