Hotel workers mark two months on strike

Labor allies and community supporters will join striking Embassy Suites workers for a special picket line Thursday afternoon

SEATTLE, WA (August 18, 2026) — Hotel workers on strike at the Embassy Suites in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood are holding strong more than 60 days after setting up their picket line in mid-June. Today, workers hit a bittersweet milestone, sustaining their strike for two months — a testament to both their unwavering commitment to securing a fair contract and management’s continued refusal to bargain one.

UNITE HERE Local 8, the workers’ union, is organizing a special picket line action on Thursday, August 20 to mark this anniversary, inviting all labor siblings and community supporters to gather in front of the hotel in a show of support for the workers, reminding management that Seattle is a union town.

Hotel workers on the picket line last week. Photo: UNITE HERE Local 8

Workers walked off the job June 18 after management failed to come to terms on a collective bargaining agreement locking in fair pay, year-round healthcare coverage, and safety measures to protect the workplace from Immigrations and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents. The Embassy Suites workforce is made up of many immigrants and people of color, part of communities ICE has targeted with racial profiling, violence, and intimidation.

“Hotel workers who are welcoming visitors from around the world to Seattle shouldn’t have to work second and third jobs to support their families or worry about whether they will have healthcare over the slow months in winter,” said UNITE HERE Local 8 president Anita Seth when the strike began. “And, as a majority immigrant workforce, they deserve the peace of mind of notification from their employer if ICE or DHS is on property.”

Striking workers are asking community to refuse to eat, sleep or meet at the hotel until they have a fair contract.

TAKE A STAND: walk the picket line with striking workers at the Embassy Suites Hotel (255 S King St, Seattle WA 98104) on Thursday, August 20 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.