Hotel workers on strike ahead of Chicago Marathon weekend
Thousands of Chicago hotel workers are on strike on Friday morning, demanding a new contract.
The strike comes as people from around the world plan to travel to the city this weekend for the 2026 Chicago Marathon on Sunday.
UNITE HERE Local 1 said negotiations on new contracts failed to reach an agreement, and most of those contracts expired on Aug. 31. The contracts are with companies including Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott.
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 this could be the largest hotel workers' strike in Chicago history.
"As Chicago welcomes marathon runners and visitors from around the world, hotel workers are being pushed to the breaking point while greedy hotel honchos cash in," said Karen Kent, President of UNITE HERE Local 1. "Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton returned $22.3 billion to shareholders over three years, yet the workers who make this industry run are struggling to pay rent and feed their families. If these companies can afford billions for shareholders, they can afford fair wages for workers. These strikes send a clear message: hotel workers are done being left behind."
