Hilton and Unite Here, the union that represents hotel workers, have reached contract agreements in three cities—San Francisco, Chicago, and Honolulu.

The deal ends a labor dispute that goes back to August 2009, when contracts in San Francisco and Chicago expired. (Contracts expired in Honolulu in June 2010.) The tentative agreement, subject to ratification by the union, affects nearly 4,000 workers in those three cities. Contract talks between the union and other hotel chains in those cities remain at a stalemate.

The contracts include wage increases, improved job stability, and reduced workloads for housekeeping staff and others, according to Unite Here. “The new contracts also preserve low-cost, high-quality healthcare and pension benefits for Hilton workers and their families at a time when, nationwide, these employee benefits are being cut,” union officials stated.

"We applaud Hilton for leading the way and upholding a decent standard for service workers in the hospitality industry," said John Wilhelm, president, Unite Here.