42-day Houston hotel strike slated to end Sunday. It’s an unprecedented labor action — in more ways than one – Houston Public Media

Kyle McClenagan/Houston Public Media

On a windy Friday evening, more than 20 people picketed outside the 24-story Hilton Americas-Houston, next to the sprawling George R. Brown Convention Center. The striking workers have a shared economic grievance.

"We gotta live paycheck to paycheck. It’s not enough for us to cover our bills," Aylin Alvarez, a housekeeper, said.

"Because Hilton is only paying us $16.50 an hour — so not enough to keep up with [the] cost of living and, you know, rent, bills," added Bill Guillen, a PBX telephone operator.

They said the $23 hourly wage the 400 striking union members are asking for would change their lives.

The situation is unprecedented in more ways than one — the historic nature of the labor action, the underlying context of the hotel's record-breakin