Congressman Charlie Crist introduces legislation to provide relief to ailing hotel industry

The American Hotel & Lodging Association and UNITE HERE, the largest hospitality workers union in North America, came together for a common goal Wednesday--supporting hotel workers.

Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA, and D. Taylor, president of UNITE HERE, held a virtual press conference to call on Congress to pass the 'Save Hotel Jobs Act.'  

They were joined by U.S. Representative Charlie Crist, who introduced the legislation with U.S. Senator Brian Schatz in an effort to provide a lifeline to hotel workers until travel returns to pre-pandemic levels.

“After a devastating year for the Florida tourism industry and the incredibly hardworking employees whose labor makes it all possible, I am proud to join the American Hotel & Lodging Association, UNITE HERE, and Senator Brian Schatz to announce legislation that will get our hotel workers back on the job and give our tourism economy the jump start it needs,” Congressman Crist said.  

According to a release from AHLA and UNITE HERE, the leisure and hospitality industry has lost 3.1 million jobs during the pandemic that have yet to return. While leisure travel has begun to return slowly, business travel, the largest source of hotel revenue, is down 85% and is not expected to begin its return until the second half of this year, they added.

Support through the Save Hotel Jobs Act includes:

• Direct payroll grants for hotel workers
• Payroll tax credits for 50 percent of costs associated with worker safety measures. This includes personal protective equipment, cleaning protocols, COVID-19 testing, and sanitation technology

You can watch the full press conference below.

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