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Thousands of Hotel Workers are Walking Off The Job, Leaving Some Major Chains With Skeleton Crews; Camp Humphreys in South Korea is the Largest Overseas U.S. Military Base; Influencers Hoping to Inspire the Next Generation. Aired 4-4:10a ET
Aired September 04, 2024 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Hello everyone, I`m Coy Wire, this is CNN 10. I just want to give a big old what`s up to Alex and everyone at Mr. Crow`s
class here at the Howard School in Atlanta, Georgia. I always love bumping into our CNN 10ors when I am out and about. Thank you Mr. Crow for making
us part of your day.
All right, we`ve got an awesome and omnibus show today and we`re starting with a massive strike against three major hotel chains. More than 10,000
union workers at nine U.S. cities went on strike Sunday at Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott hotels. About 200 hotel employees in Baltimore joined the
walkout yesterday.
So why are these workers going on strike? Well they say they want higher pay, better conditions and more people hired to help take the load off. The
Union says the hotel business has recovered from the hit it took during the COVID pandemic, but employees` salaries haven`t gone back up.
Now spokespeople for Hilton and Hyatt say they are committed to reaching deals with the Union and negotiating fair contracts. The 25 affected hotels
are reportedly still open, but guests are dealing with a skeleton staff.
These strikes are set to end after three days and some employees have already gone back to work, but the union is threatening to expand the
strike to as many as 65 hotels in 12 different cities.
Next we head to America`s largest military base overseas, Camp Humphreys in South Korea. It`s just 60 miles away from the demilitarized zone that
separates the nation from North Korea and the importance of the base has grown in recent years as North Korea becomes more of a military threat by
building up its nuclear arsenal.
CNN`s Mike Valerio takes us there now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It`s where rock concerts roar and where families find new homes in Korea. Like the Cook
family trading their lives in Cincinnati, Ohio for Camp Humphreys, South Korea.
It`s the Army`s busiest airfield in Asia, and the biggest U.S. military base overseas. Camp Humphreys, is about 60 miles away from North Korea,
driving distance from the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, the DMZ, which divides the Korean peninsula. More than 40,000 people call Camp
Humphreys home, including the Cooks. They have not one but two sets of twins, the youngest, just eight months old.
SGT. TERRY COOK, US ARMY: And when you set this, you won`t have --
VALERIO (voice over): They came here because of Sergeant Terry Cook, an Army IT Specialist here to support the critical U.S. South Korean Military
Alliance.
TYRESE COOK, MILITARY SPOUSE: We met in Cincinnati any Ohio --
VALERIO (voice over): But in Dad mode with his wife, Re, he says it`s all about supporting his parental platoon.
TERRY COOK: I just really like to, you know, spend as much time -- maximize my time with this whole unit I`ve got here.
VALERIO (on camera): I just like your new group right now, you are literally super dad.
VALERIO (voice over): Camp Humphreys host the only U.S. Army Division, which is partially made up South Korean soldiers. But the goal for families
here is to immerse in Korean culture, which is especially important for Re, since she lived in Germany as a kid when her dad was a Sergeant in the
Army.
TYRESE COOK: Being able to provide my children with the same cultural experiences that I was given as a child. It is extremely important to me as
a mother.
VALERIO (voice over): But for those looking for a slice of America, there`s plenty. Texas Roadhouse, Young Base Golf Course, and one of the biggest
Fourth of July celebrations on this side of the world. There`s also the feeling of belonging.
(CHEERING)
VALERIO (voice over): Jubilation after years in the Army finally becoming American citizens, non-commissioned officer NCO Sergeant Vanessa Ramo was
born in the Philippines supported here at her naturalization ceremony by her platoon.
STAFF SGT. VANESSA RAMO, US ARMY: I didn`t expect it to be here, honestly. It`s great to do it overseas somewhere, especially in Korea. I love Korea.
VALERIO (voice over): A slice of America, inextricably part of the Korean tapestry and for its newest residents, hardly far from home.
Mike Valerio, CNN, Camp Humphreys, South Korea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Pop quiz, hot shot. What color, shirt collar is most often associated with jobs that involve manual or skilled trade?
Purple, pink, blue, or white?
If you said blue, put your hands up. Blue collar jobs is a term dating back to the 1920s.
Did you know that there is a shortage of plumbers, electricians and other skilled workers in America? As the current generation retires, there aren`t
enough new workers going into the trades. Now, social media influencers that work in these industries are hoping to inspire people to consider
their crafts when choosing a career path.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With hashtags like trade jobs and blue collar, mechanics, welders, plumbers and electricians are using social media to
connect and inspire.
LEXI ABREU, ELECTRICIAN: You hear that like an electrician does electrical work, but you don`t necessarily like know what that entails. And now that
it`s like coming into social media, people are seeing these jobs and actually figuring out that they`re like attainable.
JAROD COFFMAN, CONSTRUCTION: One time I was visiting a school and one of the kids was like, "Hey, I really wanted to introduce myself to you. You`re
the reason I want to do construction.
DAVID COLEMAN, HANDYMAN: I think the culture that we`re in, I think it`s shifting. I don`t think the trades are as frowned upon as maybe they would
have been, I don`t know, 20, 30, 40 years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Social media influencers are making trade jobs cool, demonstrating another path to financial security at a time when college
costs are soaring.
COLEMAN: All right, this customer has no AC in the house.
(On camera): A four-year degree is not does not mean success. It doesn`t mean happiness. It doesn`t mean financial, you know, security.
ABREU: I think that social media is showing people that you can, not have to go to school and you can like join a trade and there`s no like debt.
COFFMAN: We were able to buy a house at my age at 22 years old. And I feel like that is a very easy example to people that maybe don`t think is a
viable career option.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And more women are working in the trades than ever before.
ABREU: I think that it`s not only for men, but especially like I think it`s really important to also understand like your characteristics and what you
can handle because it does take like a lot of grit, but it is rewarding and you`re learning like a life skill that you`ll have forever to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A shortage of skilled workers looms as older generations retire.
ABREU: If we don`t have young people in the trades, the trades are going to die out and we`re not going to have people building infrastructure.
COFFMAN: Social media is definitely putting a new lens on the stigma behind construction because it`s no longer being seen through someone else`s
perspective. I think it`s just showing the cool side of construction.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Today`s story getting a 10 out of 10 is proof that age really is just a number. At 65, Nora Langdon was struggling just to climb stairs 16 years
later at the age of 81, she became a world record breaking power lifter. You`ve got to see this inspiring story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NORA LANGDON, 81-YEAR-OLD POWERLIFTER: So we went out to the first state meet and I said all these young girls, there`s no way I`m going to win.
ART LITTLE, PERSONAL TRAINER, WORLD CHAMPION POWER LIFTER: We put down what our starting weights are going to be. And I heard on loudspeaker with Nora
Langdon`s coach, please come to the to the table. I run there. I said, yeah, I`m Art, I`m her coach. What`s the problem? Well, her number is kind
of high for a woman her age.
LANGDON: He said, no, it`s not a mistake. Just watch her. And I did it real easy.
LITTLE: She set all the national records and world records for age with a weight class. She broke the squat bench, deadlift and total record for her
age. Her first meet.
I knew she can compete, but never thought she was going to be a world class lifter.
LANGDON: They said I was the best in the world at that point. I love what I do. It`s just amazing. Some of my family -- some of my family said you
should quit, but I never quit. You heard it all your life. When you retire, sit out, do nothing, watch TV. That`s the worst thing you could do. If you
don`t want a power lift, fine, walk.
If you like to roller skate, roller skate, do something. But keep that body moving until the Lord call you home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: She is awesome. A power lifter lift in our souls. All right, big congrats to our #YourWordWednesday winner, Mrs. Downs class from Central
Columbia in Bloomsburg, P.A. for submitting omnibus, an adjective meaning containing or including many items. Thanks for boosting our vocabulary
today. You all really brought it so many great words to choose from. We`re going to do it again next week.
Our shout out today goes to Valley View Middle School in Edina, Minnesota. Go Hornets. See you right back here tomorrow. Lovely people.
I`m Coy Wire and we are CNN 10.
END
