Newsfeed
Fall 2025Organizing and contract wins
Knickerbocker Club
September 18: Union members at the Knickerbocker Club unanimously ratified their new contract, which guarantees wage increases, secures free family healthcare, maintains contributions to the club pension, and much more!
“There are a lot of great wins in this contract, but the best part is that now, with the union, all the employees are united. This is why we were able towin!”
– OSCAR CARBAHAL, Housekeeping Supervisor at the Knickerbocker Club
“I’ve worked here for 30 years. The union members at the club are like family to me. We won this contract because we stood strong and we stood together. I’m always going to fight for my coworkers and for our union.”
– TONY ALMONTE, Engineer at the Knickerbocker Club
The Kitchen at Resorts World Hudson Valley
November 20: On October 22, 2025, fourteen workers at The Kitchen, a new restaurant at Resorts World Hudson Valley, joined our union. Just weeks later, on November 20, 2025, the Kitchen workers won their first union contract: the GRIWA! The impact was immediate. Wages jumped overnight by 14% on average and will continue to increase over the life of the contract. The employer will also immediately start paying into the GRIWA benefit plans, including the Pre-Paid Legal Fund, and the Housing and Child Care Funds.
“It’s an amazing feeling to have the support of the union behind us. We didn’t have that before. There’s nowhere else in the Hudson Valley that you can find benefits like this – we are grateful, really.”
– JOSEPHINE MONROE, Food & Beverage Attendant at The Kitchen
Banquets at Marriott Westchester
July 24: Banquet workers at the Marriott Westchester voted overwhelmingly to join our union this July! The next step: negotiating a strong contract that will provide the Banquet employees with job security, wage increases, and reasonable workloads.
“We want the GRIWA – and we’re willing to fight for it.”
– BANQUET DEPARTMENT, Marriott Westchester
River Club
December 4: Union members at the River Club ratified their contract extension: 100% YES! The extension, which is in effect through May 2027, provides for average wage increases of 14% over the life of the contract, continues quality healthcare for members and their families, and protects pension contributions. Congratulations to River Club members on their extension!
“The most important part of this extension is the job security. The wage increases are amazing, but you can’t protect your finances if your job isn’t secure. That’s what this contract achieves – security, so we can keep building, keep saving.”
– JOSÉ ROMAN, Club Cook at the River Club
Surveillance Operators at Empire City Casino by MGM
October 24: This past March, Surveillance Operators at Empire City Casino by MGM joined our union. On October 24, the workers ratified their first union contract: 100% YES! Prior to joining our union, the Surveillance Operators had an expensive healthcare plan. In addition to paying their health insurance premium, the workers faced steep copays for doctors visits and lab tests (including $90 co-pays for routine bloodwork!).
“Now that we’re HTC members, we're protected. We have job security. We won wage increases. And our healthcare will actually be affordable.”
– ANONYMOUS SURVEILLANCE OPERATOR, Empire City Casino by MGM
Pendry Natirar
October 30: On May 9, 2025, workers at the Pendry Natirar voted overwhelmingly to join our union. Just five months later, they voted unanimously to ratify their first union contract, the GRIWA! This contract brings higher wages, Workers ratified their contract a first-time pension benefit, and slashes the cost of healthcare.
35 YES to 0 NO!
Political wins
600+ election season volunteers
3,500+ hours
36 contentious NYC Council races won
Our union won big in the November elections, thanks to the hundreds of union volunteers that came out to elect HTC-backed candidates. These victories come at an important time for our union. When our union’s Industry-Wide Agreement expires next summer, we will have allies in elected office who have already committed to be on the side of union members – not the bosses.
NEW YORK CITY
Zohran Mamdani | NYC Mayor
Our union backed Zohran Mamdani in the New York City Mayor’s race. Just days after he won the primary, Mamdani came to our union’s headquarters to meet with our members, learn about the issues most important to us, and earn our endorsement. Leading up to the General Election, our members knocked on thousands of doors for Mamdani, rallied for him outside of the mayoral debates, and joined him for discussions about NYC’s affordability crisis. Mayor-Elect Mamdani leaves no question whose side he will be on if we find ourselves in a contract fight.
“I’m going to use that office, use that bully pulpit, use the tools of this City to ensure that we stand up for every single member of this union and win the contract that you deserve.”
– ZOHRAN MAMDANI, Mayor-Elect of NYC
This November, Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani appointed HTC President Rich Maroko to his transition committee on economic and workforce development.
Julie Menin | Speaker of the NYC Council
Council Member Julie Menin, who championed the Safe Hotels Act last year despite fierce opposition by the hotel industry, secured enough support to be the next Speaker of the NYC Council. The Speaker is an incredibly important role in city government, effectively determining what legislation can go for a vote, what gets passed, and what doesn’t. With Julie as Speaker, we will have a strong and fearless ally at City Hall.
“HTC and I have rallied, marched, & campaigned together, I’m honored to be their ally in making NYC more affordable & safe.”
— JULIE MENIN, NYC Council Member
NEW JERSEY
Mikie Sherrill | NJ Governor
Our members played a role in electing Mikie Sherrill to be the next Governor of New Jersey. Mikie Sherrill will lead the State when our regional contract, the GRIWA, expires in 2028. The Governor-Elect has committed to support our union during any potential contract fight.
“When it comes time to negotiate your GRIWA, I'm going to be right there with you.”
– MIKIE SHERRILL, Governor-Elect of NJ
HTC President Rich Maroko is serving on Mikie Sherrill’s Interdisciplinary Advisory Task Force as she prepares to become New Jersey’s Governor in January.
James Solomon | Jersey City Mayor
Emily Jabbour | Hoboken Mayor
We also helped elect union-allies to the Mayor’s office in Hoboken and Jersey City. Emily Jabbour will lead as the Mayor of Hoboken and James Solomon, as the Mayor of Jersey City. As a Jersey City Council Member, James Solomon backed strong regulations on Airbnb in Jersey City during a heated ballot measure in 2019. He has been a friend to our union ever since.
HTC in the news
INSIDER NJ
New Jersey Power 100 List
#11 Rich Maroko
Maroko took his organization from representing four hotels in 2013 to 101 at present.
Endorsed Steve Fulop. Backed Mikie Sherrill in the general. The union represents 40,000 workers in the hotel and gaming industries in New York and New Jersey.
DEADLINE
Top Talent Agencies Hit With Letter Asking Clients To Boycott Upscale NYC Hotel Over Ongoing Labor Dispute: “An Issue Of Gross Injustice”
Many of the major talent agencies across New York and Los Angeles, including the likes of CAA, WME and UTA, were hit with a letter Tuesday asking agents and their clients to boycott the Surrey Hotel in New York City, at least for now...
The plea to the agencies is a calculated one, given the hotel’s reputation as a hot spot for A-listers and other media figures...
“We know that significant portion of their clientele are in the entertainment and media industries, and a lot of them end up going to the hotel without having any idea about who these owners are, who the management company is, or the dispute, and we think that if they did, they would not be... We’re actually quite hopeful that they would be supportive of the one hundred or so workers that find themselves on the street because of the hotel’s actions.”
– RICH MAROKO, HTC President
Standing in solidarity
This fall, HTC rallied in solidarity with Starbucks baristas striking over unfair labor practices in Brooklyn, UNITE HERE Local 25 restaurant workers at Starr’s Babbo, NYSNA nurses outside of Mt. Sinai on the Upper East Side, and LSG Sky Chefs in Philadelphia.
Our union's message: NYC hotel workers support you!
Delegate trainings kick off in January
The Delegate Training Program helps delegates level up their contract enforcement skills and better equips them to take on management. The curriculum covers the details of our union’s master agreements, the seven tests of just cause, and the mechanics of our grievance and arbitration system.
Sign up for delegate trainings here.
Children’s Holiday Party!
The HTC elves threw a joyful holiday party in the union’s auditorium! Union members and their children danced in holiday-themed headbands and enjoyed decorating ornaments, making picket signs for the ‘Elves on Strike!’, face painting, balloon animals, tasty candy canes, and a visit from Santa Claus himself!
