NYC Hotel Maids Now Make More Than Rookie Cops, Firefighters, Teachers After New Union Deal Averts Strike

Hotel housekeepers in are set to earn more than many entry-level public workers after a new union contract delivered major pay increases and helped avoid a potentially disruptive strike.

The agreement, reached between hotel operators and the powerful hospitality workers union, includes salary boosts that reportedly push some experienced hotel maids above the starting pay earned by rookie police officers, firefighters, and public school teachers in the city.

The deal comes after weeks of tense negotiations and growing concerns that a strike could disrupt tourism during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.