14 councilmembers back Hilton Garden Inn workers in their contract fight
Resolution 260907 calls on the Center City hotel to reach a deal with Unite Here Local 274. Workers there have authorized a strike, and it's the last of the union's hotels without a new contract.
Fourteen of City Council's 17 members have signed a resolution backing workers at the Hilton Garden Inn at 1100 Arch St. in their contract dispute. Resolution 260907, introduced Oct. 22 by Council President Kenyatta Johnson, calls on the hotel's management to reach a deal with Unite Here Local 274. It describes the hotel as the only unionized Center City hotel without a new contract.
The dispute is about whether this hotel's workers get the same pay and workload terms the union has already won at other Center City hotels this round.
Where the dispute stands
Workers at the hotel voted to authorize a strike earlier this month. Of those who voted, 96% supported it, the Inquirer reported Oct. 14. The union represents 48 workers there and has not said when a strike might start. A union spokesperson called the result "a supermajority," KYW Newsradio reported.
Other details from the Inquirer's report:
- The last contract expired in 2024, and bargaining began in spring 2025.
- The union says management walked away from talks in March 2026 and laid off six employees.
- ACRES Commercial Realty owns the hotel and has listed it for sale. GF Hotels & Resorts operates it. Neither responded to the Inquirer.
- Wages and workload are the main sticking points. Contracts at other Local 274 hotels raise pay for non-tipped workers to $30 an hour by 2028, increase pension contributions, and cap cleaning at 15 rooms a day.
The union has struck other hotels in this round. Hampton Inn workers won raises after a four-day strike last fall, the Inquirer reported.
What our records add
- Sponsors. Our record lists 14 sponsors: Kenyatta Johnson, Anthony Phillips, Curtis Jones Jr., Jamie Gauthier, Jeffery Young Jr., Jim Harrity, Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Kendra Brooks, Mark Squilla, Mike Driscoll, Nicolas O'Rourke, Nina Ahmad, Quetcy Lozada, Rue Landau.
- Not listed. Three members are not on it: Cindy Bass, Brian O'Neill and Isaiah Thomas. A missing name does not mean opposition. Members sign on to resolutions for many reasons, and no vote has been taken.
- Status. The resolution is listed as "In Council." It has no committee referral and no vote in our record.
- What it does. It is a statement of Council's position. It cannot set wages or force either side to sign. Contract terms are bargained between the union and the employer.
What's next
Council's next session is Thursday, Oct. 29, at 10 a.m. Our record does not yet show that day's agenda. If the resolution is called up, the vote will appear on its matter page. The union has said it is not sharing strike plans.