More than 10,000 workers at 25 U.S. hotels were on strike Monday after choosing Labor Day weekend to amplify their demands for higher pay, fairer workloads and the reversal of COVID-era cuts.

Nearly half of striking workers — or 5,000 — are in Honolulu. Thousands of workers are also on strike in Baltimore, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego and San Jose, California. The strikes targeting Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt hotels that began Sunday were set to last one to three days.

The UNITE HERE union, which represents the striking hospitality workers, said a total of 15,000 workers have voted to authorize strikes, which could soon spread to other cities, including New Haven, Connecticut; Oakland, California; and Providence, Rhode Island. — Associated Press