ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the effects of downsizing, cost cutting, and the resulting intensification of workloads on the health of hotel workers, as well as the organizing efforts of union members in San Francisco. In 2002, hotel workers had 6.7 occupational injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers, compared to 4.6 in the service sector as a whole. Hotel workers have higher rates of occupational injury and illness compared to workers in the service sector at large, and hotel room cleaners appear to have worse overall health than that of the general US population. Hotel workers also had higher rates for occupational injuries and illness resulting in lost workdays. The San Francisco hotel workers' study found effort-reward imbalance and job strain to be highly prevalent and associated with poor physical and psychological health. Self-rated general health among room cleaners was significantly lower than among the general US population.
