Marriott strikers reach deal in Oakland

Striking Marriott workers have reached an agreement in Oakland — but they will still be banging the drums in San Francisco as the strike moves into its second month.

“There was some significant progress in talks on the national level on key items like job security this week, and since then we have arrived at a settlement in Oakland, but there is still more to be worked out,” with San Francisco hotels, said Unite Here Local 2 President Anand Singh. Ty Hudson, with the East Bay’s Unite Here Local 2850, declined to go into details of the Oakland deal, but said the new contract would “allow people to make a living in the extremely expensive Bay Area.”

Hotel workers earn about $43,000 a year and pay just $10 a month for health care benefits for themselves and their families. Strike pay for the Oakland workers was $300 a week.

Singh said the next round of talks for San Francisco strikers has been set for Nov. 12 and 13.

“It’s going to take a little longer here,” Singh said of the San Francisco strike. “But we are committed, we are on the line and we are keeping strong.”

Nearly 2,500 hotel workers walked off their jobs at seven San Francisco Marriott Hotels early last month. An additional 500 workers went out in Oakland and San Jose.

For the past four weeks, starting at 7 in the morning, strikers have filled downtown San Francisco with the sound of banging drums and chanting megaphones — often aimed up at the hotel rooms.

But while the strikers made their presence known on the streets, the city’s busy fall convention season rolled on without any major cancellations. “We had the busiest fall we have ever had — in fact, 2019 is shaping up to be the busiest year we have ever had,” San Francisco Travel Association Executive Director Joe D’Allesandro said. Unlike the 2004 lockout by hotels that put 4,000 maids, bellhops, cooks and other hourly wage earners on the streets — and had Mayor Gavin Newsom walking a picket line — the current strike appears to have had little impact at City Hall.

The Board of Supervisors held a hearing Friday, which Marriott declined to attend. Mayor London Breed called for Marriott to negotiate a settlement as well.

Marriott did not immediately return our calls seeking comment.

“The hope is that this will get settled and everyone can go back to work,” D’Allesandro said.

Until then, the drums will continue to sound.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross normally appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross