Local Leaders Praise Hotel Association of NYC for Hotel + Gaming Trades Council Agreement

NEW YORK, NY (05/19/2026) (readMedia)-- City leaders are applauding the Hotel Association of New York (HANYC) for its new contract with the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, AFL-CIO (HTC) after ratifying a fair, nation-leading eight-year contract on Monday ahead of the World Cup. The new contract continues the hotel industry's long history of providing the best wages and benefits in the country in line with previous compensation, while adding provisions to keep healthcare costs under control.

"This contract is a win for our hospitality industry, our economy and for a city that works best when the people who keep it running can afford to live here too," said Mayor Mamdani.

Speaker Menin also applauded the hotel industry for reaching a contract agreement: "Congratulations to the members of the New York Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and to the hotel industry for reaching an agreement on a new contract for workers. I want to thank the hotel industry for their leadership and the important role they play in New York's economic vitality."

"I'm thrilled that the hotel industry and union have reached a contract agreement ahead of the World Cup that is fair for both sides. When hotels are strong, the entire hospitality ecosystem is strong. That means more foot traffic from hotel visitors in our neighborhoods, more customers in our restaurants, and more opportunity for workers supporting their families through small business ownership and hospitality jobs. At a time when restaurant owners are facing significant economic pressures, this new contract agreement will give them a chance to benefit from the economic activity that the hotel industry helps generate. A strike would have been terrible for us and our local economy. Thank you to the Hotel Association of New York City for managing to avoid disaster and get a fair contract for both sides despite tremendous economic headwinds," said Arelia Taveras, Founder and Executive Director, Long Island Latino Restaurant Association, including the Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and Bronx Latino Restaurants.

"This agreement is a major win for New York businesses and workers who rely on a strong hotel industry, especially the small businesses that are the backbone of the city's tourism economy. With the World Cup approaching, neighborhood restaurants and bars, retail shops, and other local businesses are preparing to welcome visitors from around the world. This deal provides the stability and certainty needed to help maximize that economic opportunity for them and the workers and families they support. We're thankful for the hotel industry's continued leadership in supporting not only hotel workers, but all of the workers that rely on it," said Frank Garcia, Chairman of the New York Multicultural Business Coalition.

"The small businesses represented by the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce, and the many workers from immigrant communities who have built family-supporting careers in tourism and hospitality, will benefit tremendously from this agreement provided by the hotel industry. This contract agreement helps provide the stability needed for the nearly 400,000 New Yorkers who rely on the hospitality industry for work, as well as the thousands of small business owners across the city whose restaurants and shops have the most to gain from a successful World Cup," said Dr. Jean G. Joseph, President of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce.

"We are proud the New York hotel industry will continue to provide the best pay and benefits in the country-especially since we are facing tremendous economic headwinds and the highest taxes in the nation, have lost 20,000 hotel rooms since COVID, and are still below prepandemic demand," said Vijay Dandapani, President and CEO of HANYC.

The new union contract includes continued nation-leading pay for hotel workers. Wages for non-tipped workers will increase by $21.20 over the life of the contract, which averages to over 5% each year. Other key details of the agreement include:

• Provisions to keep healthcare costs under control.
• The continuation of nearly completely free healthcare for members and their families for the life of the contract.
• A 0.5% increase in employer contributions to the Pension Fund this January, amounting to nearly $11 million that year.
• Establishment of brand-new Housing and Childcare Funds funded by employers over the life of the contract.
• Additional paid time off, fully paid family leave for new parents, and paid time off to vote in local, state, and federal elections.

The agreement comes just weeks before visitors arrive in New York for the FIFA World Cup, helping ensure that hotels, hotel workers, and the nearly 400,000 hospitality and tourism workers supported by the industry can benefit from the once-in-a-generation event. With hotel bookings for the tournament period at 18%, down from 26% at the same time last year, the deal helps avoid labor disruptions that could have further discouraged visitors from staying in city hotels and spending at nearby businesses.

Vijay Dandapani, President and CEO of HANYC, and Rich Maroko, President of HTC issued the following joint statement on Monday:

"The Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, AFL-CIO and the Hotel Association of New York City are pleased to announce that a fair, nation-leading Industry Wide Agreement has been reached to cover more than 27,000 workers employed at over 200 hotels for the next 8 years. This agreement includes wage increases that workers deserve, while preserving and improving benefits long term, establishing employer-funded housing and childcare funds, and guaranteeing labor peace until 2034. This new contract will help preserve New York City's status as a world class destination for tourists, supporting a tourism economy that employs hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers."