Hotel workers at two of SeaTac’s largest hotels – the Doubletree Seattle Airport and the Seattle Airport Hilton & Conference Center – have ratified new contracts that include significant wage increases and workload protections.

The agreements, reached after two strikes—one over Labor Day weekend and a weeklong strike in October—are a notable victory for the largely immigrant workforce as the hospitality sector stabilizes following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The contracts affect 400 workers and include housekeepers, front desk agents, cooks, dishwashers, servers, bartenders, and drivers. Workers, represented by the union UNITE HERE Local 8, secured raises over the life of the contract and gained workload protections for housekeepers.

“Our members joined in a wave of workers across this country who are fighting and winning what they deserve,” said UNITE HERE Local 8 President Anita Seth. “This diverse workforce, which includes refugees and immigrants from over a dozen countries, stuck together and showed that hospitality jobs can be good jobs that can sustain families and communities, even in a high cost-of-living region.”

One worker, Usman Yousufzai, a houseman at the Doubletree, expressed relief at the financial stability the new contract will provide.

“I’m so proud of what we won together, and the extra pay will make a big difference for me,” he said. “Every month my brothers and sisters in Afghanistan need me to help them financially just for their families to survive. The raises we won mean that I can pay my bills here in Washington and send more to help my family.”

The contract ratification in SeaTac comes amid a wave of hotel worker strikes across North America. More than 10,000 hotel workers nationwide have gone on strike since Labor Day, including employees in Honolulu, Boston, and San Diego. While many have reached new agreements, over 2,000 workers in San Francisco remain on strike. In Seattle, UNITE HERE members at the Westin continue to push for contract terms, raising concerns about resort fees and other labor issues.