Document written for the November 2025 Aimbridge hotels strike.

While bosses fight for the health of their balance sheet, the workers they parasitically leech off of must fight to live. A basic quality of life, one in which you can afford to see a doctor or even live within the city you work in, apparently, is asking for too much. So is expecting wages to keep up with inflation or having a retirement. These concerns mean nothing in the eyes of today's ruling class, the capitalists. They are inhumanly driven like machines to maximize profit, only giving concessions after being forced to.

Aimbridge's earnings aren't publicly known, but they admitted in 2018 to having an annual revenue to employee amount of over $133,000. In January they turned $1.1 billion of debt into equity and received $100 million in new capital by this restructuring. In the business press, they brag about now being one of the healthiest companies in the industry. Aimbridge, the largest third-party hotel operator in the world, can give you more than crumbs. What about the owners of the Wyndham Historic District hotel, RLJ Lodging Trust? While it is true that they have seen a drop in revenue and net income, they also see something to look forward to. According to their CEO, "We are particularly excited about the World Cup in the U.S., and with 72 matches scheduled to take place in many of our markets, we are well-positioned to capture this demand." This isn't to mention all the other events for 2026, which is estimated to bring a total economic impact of over $1 billion in Philadelphia alone.

What they can't afford is a strike during this time. At the same time, workers can't afford to let opportunities to pressure the bosses when they are vulnerable to go to waste. As workers in general sink deeper, through losses disguised as minor gains by inflation and an increased cost of living, what is becoming harder to ignore is the need for working class self-activity. In this inverted world, what is normal is for capitalists to rig it in their favor to the point of destroying their host. Unions, having been tamed by the bosses, now function as a means of negotiating losses on to the workers. Just as you wouldn't ask your boss for higher pay and just shrug when they turn it down, you shouldn't simply accept crumbs.

If you don't get what you need, get in contact with other coworkers and hotel workers who are willing to push further. This can be the precursor to the type of collaboration necessary for basic defensive wins. The capitalist class, through national competitions to carve up a shrinking world, will increasingly place a higher burden on workers to unbearable levels. As this happens, the reality of class will become harder to ignore, as will the need for an offensive against a class and society long past its expiration date. What will be needed is a class animated by its own self-activity and lead by its party to bring an end to class altogether.