Chicago

Hundreds of Hotel Workers on Strike in Downtown Chicago

The strike included housekeepers, servers, cooks and doormen from 25 downtown hotels

Hundreds of workers in downtown Chicago marched outside popular hotels Friday morning striking for year-round health care.

The strike included housekeepers, servers, cooks and doormen from 25 downtown hotels, including the Hyatt Regency Chicago, JW Marriott, Sheraton Grand, Hilton Chicago, Westin, The Drake Hotel and Palmer House.

“Hotels may slow down in the wintertime, but I still need my diabetes medication when I’m laid off. Nobody should lose their health benefits just because it’s cold out. Full-time jobs should have year-round benefits,” Q. Rivers, a house attendant at the Palmer House Hilton, said in a statement.

Workers hit the picket lines early Friday morning chanting “What do we want? Health care. When do we want it? Now.”

Hyatt Hotel’s Vice President of Labor Relations Michael D’Angelo said it has come to “successful agreements this year in other markets and will continue negotiating in good faith in Chicago.”

“Our colleagues are the heart of our business, and we respect their right to voice their opinions as the negotiations continue,” D’Angelo said in a statement. “Hyatt hotels have plans in place to continue operations.”

More negotiation sessions are scheduled throughout the month, Hyatt said.

Hilton also said it was negotiating a new labor contract with Unite Here Local 1. 

"The union’s decision to call a strike will have minimal impact on our operations," Paul Ades, senior vice president for labor relations, said in a statement. "We continue to provide the service and amenities we are proud to offer our guests and clients every day. We are negotiating with the union in good faith and are confident that we will reach an agreement that is fair to our valued Team Members and to our hotels."

Marriott Hotels said it was "disappointed to learn that Unite Here Local 1 has chosen to resort to a strike at this time."

"There is nothing about the current state of the negotiations or the longstanding and productive bargaining relationship between Marriott International and Unite Here that suggests that a strike is warranted or necessary," a spokesman for the hotel said in a statement. "The parties are not at an impasse on any issue. In fact, the union is still in the process of making its initial bargaining proposal, with new proposals made just last week at our most recent bargaining session. We continue to be available to bargain in good faith for a fair contract."

Marriott said its hotels will remain open throughout the strike. 

"While we respect our associates’ rights to participate in this work stoppage, we also will welcome any associate who chooses to continue to work," the statement read. 

Contact Us