S.F. hotel workers demand jobs back as occupancy rates creep back
Before the pandemic, Claudia Valencia worked at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel as a housekeeper, cleaning rooms five days a week. She liked the work, which paid close to $30 an hour and gave her access to affordable medical care for herself and her family.
When she was laid off last year because of the pandemic she figured it might be for a few months. But a year and a half later, she hasn’t been able to return to her old job even close to full time, only picking up one shift since the hotel, the largest west