Unionized San Antonio hotel workers to get $20 hourly minimum wage

UNITE HERE Local 23 members cast ballots to ratify their new union contract with San Antonio’s Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency hotels on Friday. Credit: Courtesy of UNITE 23

Unionized workers at San Antonio’s Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency hotels will earn a $20 minimum wage after unanimously voting to ratify a new labor contract on Thursday.

The three-year contracts negotiated by the UNITE HERE Local 23 hospitality union will go into effect in May 2026 and mark the first time San Antonio hotel workers will earn a minimum wage that high, organizers said.

Organizers also said the contract secures reduced healthcare costs, Juneteenth as a paid holiday, improved rights for tipped workers and workload reductions for housekeepers.

“This contract is a huge victory, and I want to recognize Hyatt for sitting down, negotiating in good faith and reaching a historic agreement,” Secretary Treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 23 Willy Gonzalez said. “Our members have again proven that through collective action, they can win life-changing wages and benefits.”

Despite tourism being San Antonio’s largest industry, only hospitality workers at the Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency have union representation. Even so, Gonzalez said all Alamo City hospitality workers deserve a living wage.

Meanwhile, union member Mary Saucedo, who has worked at the Grand Hyatt as a housekeeper for 16 years, said the pay bump will make life easier for workers and their families.

“I’ll be able to actually save and not have to worry so much every month about all my expenses,” she said.

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