June 22, 2026
Provided Image/Unite Here Local 274
Workers at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown hotel went on strike on Sunday morning as they seek higher wages in contract negotiations. Above, staffers protest outside the hotel.
Hospitality workers at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown hotel in Center City are continuing their strike into a second day after walking off the job Sunday morning.
Represented by the Unite Here Local 274 union, workers are seeking a wage increase from $22.11 to $30 per hour for non-tipped employees by 2028, a decrease from a 16-room to a 15-room quota per day for housekeeping staff and 18% banquet gratuity. Unite Here said the demands are in line with a new citywide standard at five other unionized hotels in Center City.
The union initially set a strike deadline of June 12, but extended it after workers at two other hotels were able to reach an agreement with management for new contracts. The Sheraton Downtown is the largest unionized hotel in the city with about 170 members, according to Unite Here.
Workers declared the strike early Sunday morning, a day before the city's third of six matches for the World Cup, which has attracted thousands of tourists to the area. France and Iraq are scheduled to play at Lincoln Financial Field at 5 p.m. Monday.
"We told them we were ready to strike the World Cup," room attendant Francine Heason said in a statement. "They could have easily avoided this by signing the contract. We are not worth less than the other hotel workers in this city and we are going to fight for what we deserve."
Strikes are also possible at the Warwick Hotel Rittenhouse Square, Hilton Garden Inn Center City and Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia Northeast, Unite Here said.
The Sheraton was among those at three hotels in which workers held a strike in the fall in an attempt to raise wages during contract negotiations. Workers at two of the other hotels, the Hampton Inn Center City and the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District, have both since ratified new contracts.
