Hotel workers at Hilton Americas-Houston, represented by Unite Here Local 23, have ended a 40-day strike after reaching a new contract agreement with the management.

The strike, which was the first hotel strike led by union members in Texas, concluded when workers voted to ratify the agreement on 10 October.

Hotel staff will now return to work under the terms of the new contract, said Unite Here.

The new contract includes wage increases, with the hotel housekeepers, stewards, and laundry attendants to earn a minimum of $20 per hour.

It also guarantees further increases, raising the minimum wage to $22 by the end of the contract period.

Additional provisions include job security protections, changes to housekeeping workloads, and measures to improve job safety for hotel workers.

The strike began as part of a broader campaign started by hospitality workers in April, aimed at securing higher wages and improved job conditions for hotel staff in Houston.

Union members called on Hilton Americas to adopt measures they believed would contribute to more stable employment across the city’s tourism sector.

During the strike, workers received financial support from several labour organisations, including Texas AFL-CIO and the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation.

Community allies also contributed funds to provide assistance to the strikers.

Public officials, including members of Houston’s city council, county commissioners, state representatives and congressional delegates, also expressed support for the striking workers.

Unite Here Local 23 Texas Chapter president Franchesca Caraballo said: “This victory is an attestation of our members’ strength, their will, and determination. They held the line for over a month in the heat and rain, as they fought to secure better standards after being left behind for so long.

“It was an incredibly hard fight, and the outcome reflects just that. Now we expect all the players in Houston’s hospitality industry to follow suit and pay workers a living wage.

Unite Here Local 23 represents 28,000 hospitality workers located in multiple states, including Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas and Virginia.

It also represents hospitality staff at other major Houston sites such as the George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Marriott Marquis.