News roundup: NYC hotel workers get huge raise while restaurant hourlies have to skip meals

NYC housekeepers to see $100K in annual pay

Food-away-from-home businesses in New York City may have to sweeten their hourly wage rates if they want to keep employees from defecting to the hotel industry, where housekeepers are on track to earn $100,000 a year under a new labor contract.

A group representing about 250 local hotels agreed to an extraordinary raise for the room cleaners because of fears the workers and fellow hotel employees would otherwise walk off their jobs as visitors descend on the city for the World Cup.

The collective-bargaining agreement ratified Monday will raise the wages of housekeepers to more than $61 an hour over the next eight years, according to observers who were privy to the negotiations. The hourlies currently earn about $40 an hour.

A housekeeper's typical schedule would equate to annual pay of about $100,000 by 2034.

Parties on both sides of the negotiating table said the quantum leap in pay is necessary to help the workers contend with the soaring cost of living in or near the city.

The agreement came to light amid reports that bookings for the global soccer tournament were falling below expectations.

Restaurants blast NFL's broadcasting policies

Bars and other dining venues that use NFL programming as a customer draw are turning to Congress for help in keeping pro football games accessible and affordable.

Instead of being beamed via satellite, games played during the 2026-27 season will exclusively be streamed via cable systems under a new broadcasting arrangement with the NFL. The changeover could require establishments to invest in new technology and pay more than they did last season for rights to show the games on in-store TVs.

Operators also contend that streaming can be problematic when the feed is aired on multiple TV sets. Not every television is likely to receive the broadcast signal at precisely the same time, leading to slight variations from set to set in what's being shown.

Streaming can also lead to buffering, or a pause in the feed as the signal is being received and processed.

The Iowa Restaurant Association and the Wisconsin Restaurant Association are calling on their Congressional representatives to address the issues through legislation, according to Fox News, which says it has seen the letters that were sent.

In addition, the Wisconsin group is asking its senator, Tammy Baldwin, to push through a requirement that NFL teams air their games locally for free.

Barkeep of Chicago's famed Billy Goat Tavern dies at age 91

Sam Sianis, owner of the bar that inspired Saturday Night Live's classic "Cheeseburger, cheeseburger" skit, has died. He was 91.

Sianis reportedly died of natural causes after undergoing gallbladder surgery.

The Chicago Tribune described Sianis as "Chicago's most famous saloonkeeper." The Greek immigrant owned six bars in the Chicagoland area, all carrying the Billy Goat name.

The most famous was the well-worn establishment on lower Michigan Avenue, just under some of the city's most well-known real estate. SNL poked fun at the staff's propensity to yell out a patron's order, which was invariably a cheeseburger. Co-workers on the cookline would loudly repeat the order, leading to confusion about how many burgers should be on the grill.

The bar was named after Billy the Goat, the barnyard pet who was refused entrance to the fourth game of the World Series in 1945. His owner was so irate that he cursed the Cubbies, who were playing the Detroit Tigers for the championship. The Cubs went down in defeat and would not win a World Series for another 71 years.

Food insecurity hits home

The food-away-from-home industry has devoted considerable time and resources to combatting food insecurity among the populations it serves. A new study reveals the effort should be expanded to include employees as well as customers.

The report from the financial-tech company Instant Financial shows that 61% of hourly restaurant workers have skipped at least one meal a week during the past month because they lacked the necessary funds.

"The people serving our meals every day are, in many cases, unable to afford meals themselves," Instant Financial CEO Tal Clark said in a statement. "That signals that something is fundamentally broken."

Other findings suggest management is in no rush to address the issue. More than half (54%) of the 750 surveyed restaurant employees said their employers don't understand what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck. About a third (35%) said their management doesn't care.