Hotel workers stepped up their battle with management Saturday, staging pot-clanging protests outside several San Francisco hotels and calling customers at home to urge them to cancel trips and events.

But it was unclear what effect their efforts were having on guests, some of whom expressed displeasure with the union's tactics.

Alan Reeves, 82, of San Francisco said he was surprised when a woman claiming to be a union representative called to urge him not to hold his group's reunion next week at the St. Francis.

"She was intimidating me, almost threatening me, albeit in a nice (voice), " said Reeves, national commander of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces, whose 300 American members made up General Dwight D. Eisenhower's command forces during WWII.

"I was not going to be intimidated."

Mike Casey, president of Local 2 of Unite Here, said the union has been calling customers, but denied allegations of intimidation tactics.

"No question, we call customers and ask them to stay away, (but) we do not threaten people," said Casey. "We approach customers, we talk to them about the conditions of our city right now. That is our right."

Workers were locked out of their jobs at 10 of the city's biggest hotels Friday, after picket lines went up Wednesday at four other hotels: the Argent, the InterContinental Mark Hopkins, the Hilton and the Crowne Plaza Union Square.

Local 2 of Unite Here intends to strike against the four hotels for two weeks, ending Oct. 12. But the hotels have said they might continue to lock out the workers after that date.

The workers were locked out of the Fairmont, Four Seasons, Grand Hyatt, Holiday Inn Civic Center, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Fisherman's Wharf, Holiday Inn at Fisherman's Wharf, the Palace Hotel, Hyatt Regency, Omni and Westin St. Francis.

Workers are fighting hotel proposals to increase eligibility requirements for health insurance, wages, and the length of a new contract.

Casey said workers have received tremendous support from customers. Several dozen picketers drew honks of support from passing motorists as they marched Saturday outside the Hyatt, Argent and Four Seasons hotels carrying signs and banging on metal pans and pots.

Several said they have worked at their jobs for years, and hoped the dispute would be resolved quickly.

"I've worked here 17 years," said Miriam Martinez, who yelled herself hoarse as she chanted solidarity slogans through a bullhorn outside the Hyatt.

While some guests expressed sympathy for the workers, others were put off by the loud protests.

"I think they make too much noise," said Raymond Tehranchi, who was staying at the Hyatt while visiting from Los Angeles.

Saul Goldberg and his daughter, Leslie, arrived from Boston on Friday for a wedding and were surprised by the picket lines outside the Argent.

"We're Democrats, so we understand the importance of unions," said Saul Goldberg. "I understand about the health care issue, it's very important. I just think they went a little overboard with the noise."