Business

Chicago Hotel Workers Continue Strike Monday as They Seek New Contract

Hundreds of hotel workers from a half dozen Chicago hotels remain on strike Monday, days after walking off the job in a push for improved wages, healthcare benefits and a safer workload.

The strike began last week and remains ongoing at six local hotels — the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, Waldorf Astoria Chicago, Palmer House a Hilton Hotel, The Westin Chicago River North, Westin Michigan Avenue and Millennium Hotel Knickerbocker.

The workers are part of the UNITE HERE Local 1, which has warned that additional hotel staff could join the strike at any moment. That union represents around 7,000 room attendants, cooks, dishwashers, front desk agents, servers and other hospitality workers at more than 40 Chicago hotels, who have been without a contract since Sept. 1.

The strike began just days before Sunday’s Chicago Marathon drew around 55,000 runners. The race brings an estimated 1.7 million spectators each year, event organizers said.

According to UNITE HERE, 85% of affected workers voted last month to authorize a strike as contract negotiations failed to lead to an agreement.

“Workers say the hospitality industry’s success has not translated into financial security for the people who clean its rooms, prepare its meals and welcome its guests,” the union said in a press statement.

The workers said they’re seeking better wages, healthcare benefits, a better pension, civil rights protections and safer workloads.

UNITE HERE Local 1 said it conducted a survey in 2025, which found about 1 in 3 of its workers didn’t have enough money to cover their rent or mortgage during the previous year, while nearly 30% lacked sufficient money to cover their utility bills.

According to the union, Chicago’s last major hotel worker strikes involved 26 hotels and helped workers and their families secure year-round health coverage.

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