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Center City Hotel Workers Strike at Sheraton and Hampton Inn Over Expired Contracts

Workers seek higher pay, stronger benefits and staffing fixes ahead of Philadelphia’s 2026 tourism surge.

Overview

  • Picket lines began around 5 a.m. Sunday outside the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown and the Hampton Inn Center City–Convention Center as contract talks continue.
  • UNITE HERE Local 274 says about 190 union members with expired contracts walked off the job.
  • Striking workers are demanding wage and pension increases, improved health care coverage and changes to understaffing.
  • Union leaders want new agreements in place before expected 2026 events, including FIFA World Cup matches and the MLB All-Star Game.
  • The Sheraton is owned by Cambridge Landmark and the Hampton Inn by Blackstone’s BREIT; Marriott and Hilton had not provided comment as of Sunday.