Thousands of downtown Chicago hotel workers vote to authorize strike
Thousands of workers at dozens of downtown Chicago hotels have voted to authorize a strike, which their union said would be the largest in the city's history.
UNITE HERE Local 1 said, after negotiations on new contracts failed to reach an agreement, 85% of workers at more than 40 hotels voted to authorize strikes. Most of those contracts expired on Aug. 31, according to the union.
Collectively, the hotels employ more than 7,000 room attendants, cooks, dishwashers, front desk agents, servers, and food service workers at more than 40 hotels downtown and near McCormick Place. The union said, if all those workers go on strike, it would be the largest hotel workers strike in Chicago history.
The union said it could call for strikes at any moment at any of the affected hotels.
"I voted yes to strike because I've had enough. They're putting us on the schedule 6 consecutive days without even asking us. They demand and demand, always rushing us in the rooms, without acknowledging that we are human beings. We only have two hands and two feet. I'm coming out of here extremely exhausted. And I have to come and work, because I need money to feed my four children." Cassandra Pope, a room attendant at the Palmer House Hilton, said in a statement provided by the union.
The union said hotel chains like Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott have failed to offer fair wages to employees. UNITE HERE Local 1 said a recent survey found nearly one-third of hotel workers were not paid enough over the past year to cover rent or mortgage payments, and nearly 30% lacked the money to cover utility bills.
The Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, a nonprofit trade group representing more than 500 Illinois hotels, said it is "deeply concerned about the negative impact a work stoppage will have on employees, visitors, hotels, and the city as a whole."
"Chicago's hotel industry supports tens of thousands of jobs, welcomes millions of visitors each year, serves as an important economic driver for the city and state, and generates tax revenue that saves each Chicago household thousands of dollars. We are hopeful hotel operators and union representatives can reach a fair and mutually acceptable resolution that recognizes the important contributions of hotel employees while acknowledging the significant financial and operational pressures facing Chicago hotels," Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association president and CEO Michael Jacobson said in a statement. "In the meantime, the impacted hotels have robust contingency plans in place and remain open for business and ready to welcome guests with open arms."
The union said the last large-scale strike at downtown Chicago hotels was in 2018, when workers at 26 hotels went on strike. All of those hotels reached contract agreements with workers within a month of the strike.
