On Wednesday thousands of Marriott employees protested over a myriad of issues. Marriott workers are striking as approximately 12,000 workers will have their contracts expire this year, with most expiring at the end of this Summer.
Workers are protesting for higher wages, better protections against sexual harassment and job security. The strikes are happening all across the country in cities like Boston, Honolulu, Philadelphia, and San Diego.
In San Diego, the workers are specifically marching downtown during rush hour as an act of civil disobedience. Union representatives have stated that if Marriott does not agree to these demands they will have no problem escalating the “militancy and and engagement with Marriott in a very public way.” None of these strikes involved a work stoppage.
The number of work stoppages and strikes has been on a historic decline in the United States. In 1947, there were 270 work stoppages involving 1,000 or more people which accounted to the participation of an estimated 1,629,000 workers. In 2017, there were just 7 of these work stoppages with 25,000 workers participating.
The stock markets have soared based on the exploitation of the international working class. The capitalists and landlords are doing unbelievably well while the working class struggles to survive. This is because the profits of the capitalist class increases with the intensified exploitation and stagnant wages of the working class.
As the militancy of the workers unions has been on a prolonged decline, the results for the working class have been mediocre. An increased militancy and increased engagement are necessary if the working class is to see any meaningful changes with respect to wages, benefits, and job security.