Hospitality workers around the country have faced some of the worst layoffs in any industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. UNITE HERE, a labor union representing over 300,000 workers, most of whom are in the hospitality, food service, and restaurant industries, reported that 98% of its members were out of work last year. At the five hotel properties in Virginia’s historic Colonial Williamsburg, however, workers who did get their jobs back are being chronically overworked and underpaid, resulting in injuries on the job and little to no ability to have a life outside of work.
What’s worse, according to a press release from UNITE HERE LOCAL 25, the union representing hospitality workers at Colonial Williamsburg, management with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation “has skipped seven bargaining sessions since August†and “has refused to meaningfully engage with workers’ demands to end forced overtime. Currently, Local 25 members in Colonial Williamsburg routinely work six- and seven-day weeks in the hotels and 10- and 12-hour days in the taverns, a practice workers are demanding an end to in the next contract.â€
In this episode of Working People, TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with Agatha Hilt, Willie Brown, and John Boardman of UNITE HERE Local 25 about what workers are going through and the status of the current contract fight. Agatha Hilt is a housekeeper at the Williamsburg Lodge and has worked there for the last 11 years, Willie Brown is a houseman at the Williamsburg Lodge and has worked at Colonial Williamsburg for seven years, and John Boardman is the executive secretary-treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 25.

Pre-Production/Studio/Post-Production: Dwayne Gladden
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** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
I’m calling management! It’s an outrageous disgrace that they should be dehumanizing and abusing our elders like this!!! My mother would never let me get away with this level of disrespect, and I would never be able to live with the shame!!! Who the hell are the soulless demons in charge over there?!?!?!!! They’re not getting away with this!!
Transportation industry is the same
Why do we allow these demons to do this to us? This is clearly slave labor/wages. You get sick from this you won’t be able to work at all. Someone said in the comments find something you love to do and learn how to make money from it.
Fear not everyone!
When this pandemic ultimately subsides and air travel restrictions are lifted.
President Biden will no doubt roll out H1-B and J-1 visas in record numbers. The country will soon be able to import skilled medical personnel by the planeload. From what I've heard from those working in the field. The Phillipines can meet and exceed whatever need we have. As Manila can chern out hundreds if not thousands of trained workers each passing year.
Keep lifting up working people voices and always keep that ear out for those who need to be heard
Thank you for airing the voices of the people doing the hard labor.
Find something you love to do and then learn how to make money doing that thing. The definition of a JOB is Just Over Broke.
They are working the employees just like slaves of Colonial Wiliamsburg. That's exactly what they're treating them like.
Thank you for airing this,,these people work very,very hard,,twelve and hour is rediculas,, thank you
This is a damn shame these people is not y'all slaves don't they realize without the worker they don't have a damn business? These are human being they have a life rich get richer and the poor get poorer and get broken down body kid's doing without their mother's and father's how can they have time with their kid's they say get a job support your family's well hell look how their been treated can't even clean their own house. Somerhing have too give life can't go on this way. I wish I was rich I'll take all y'all damn worker's and would be glad too have them because they are some Damn good workers to stay in this slave driving job. SMDH this make my stomach damn turn.the sad part about it is they feel like they are doing nothing wrong. Respect is do to a dog. I will be praying for y'all keep the faith my people keep the faith our god see all and there will be justice under paid, disrespected, and broken down body's who and the hell do you heartless unhuman t think you are? I know one thing what goes around come around my people hold on don't give up the fightðŸ™ðŸ™ðŸ™ðŸ™ðŸ¤— âš“âš“âš“ it's a damn shame our people have been fighting for ever you wouldn't think this is USA but oh hell yes it is. Land of the milk and honey my ass that only apply too most White's but what they fell to realize ant know white people gonna take this damn job None !!!! My people are valuable to your low life so call slave driving jobs without people of color y'all can't do shit nor run shit remember THAT.
I refuse to ever clock in again.
I worked service industry and you work your ass off for low wages. All hours of day & night 🌙 Crazy 🤪 hours.
Underpaid & Overworked!
True front line workers. If it seems like the employers don't care, tell them your vacation days and plans for travel. I would bet they would care then. Hazzard pay should definitely be a talking point along with supply shortage.
40 million unskilled immigrants entered the US in a generation, 2 million crossed illegally this year alone. No wonder wages are low in one of the main industries where unskilled immigrants work. Same with construction, landscaping, agriculture, food processing, etc. The left abandoned the American working class, and vice versa.
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WE WANT TO HELP SAVE THE WORLD 😇🙋â€â™€ï¸ðŸ˜ðŸ¤”
Maids,waitress,bar tenders,clean crews