Hotels nationwide have begun to fill up with visitors again, but some aren't hiring the needed amount of workers to match occupancy rates.
Listen to the latest episode of "Bay Current" below.
Many San Francisco hotel staffers have been laid off or were transferred to part-time work due to a decline in hotel stays in the last two years. But as visitors begin to return to major hotel chains across the city, these employees are suffering from the loss of employment.
Roxana Herrera, an Oakland resident and Hilton Union Square employee, told KCBS Radio's "Bay Current" some of the struggles she's had while working at the hotel chain. Before the coronavirus pandemic, she worked 40 hours a week as a full-time employee, but now her hours have been reduced.
"Between May and August, I only worked 6-8 days for the hotel," Herrera explained. "I've had no hours since August. I've had to clean houses to get some income." There has been a seismic shift in the hospitality industry, and many hotels have started to eliminate daily housekeeping – meaning some rooms just won't be cleaned every day.
San Francisco labor unions have been advocating for these workers and protesting in order to increase hours for hotel workers.
Supervisor Matt Haney has been protesting with these employees to advocate for their return to full-time employment. "People who stay in hotels and want those services, we need to speak out," he said. "Ultimately, if hotels give the bare minimum, it will hurt the industry in the long-term."
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