Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union to improve working conditions in the nation’s fruit and vegetable fields and coined the phrase “Sí, se puede!” that became a widespread rallying cry, has died. She was 96.

About 85% of workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 1 voted to authorize a strike after more than 7,000 workers across 46 Chicago hotels were left without a contract as of Sept. 1. The workers include room attendants, cooks, dishwashers and other hospitality workers.

Cook County College Teachers Union Local 1600 and the City Colleges of Chicago reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract late Sunday, meaning Monday’s planned strike had been averted.

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.

Cook County College Teachers Union Local 1600 announced Thursday they will begin their strike Oct. 19, days after 96% of its voting members said they were in favor of a work stoppage.

The vote comes after journalists at the suburban newspaper announced efforts in August to form a union following the layoffs of a dozen staffers. The layoffs occurred less than two months after the publication was acquired by Tribune Publishing.

Wednesday marked the launch of a new union organizing drive by non-tenure eligible and adjunct faculty at the Evanston-based university after two years of organizing conversations.

Members of Teamsters Local 700 and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County has come to terms on a contract extension, ending a 16-day strike by approximately 230 forest preserve employees.

The Daily Herald News Guild has filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board, according to a news release. The union would represent 20 eligible staff members at the newspaper, according to the organizing committee.

Nearly 200 employees at the Forest Preserve District of Cook County went on strike Monday after failing to come to terms with management on a new contract.

Nurses at Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital rallied outside the hospital Thursday in a planned one-day strike after they allege nurses were fired by management in retaliation for trying to form a union. The hospital denied retaliating against employees.

House Bill 5090 would regulate how rideshare drivers can form a union, elect union representatives and engage in union activities such as collective bargaining.

Baseball owners hadn’t proposed a firm cap since 1994. Their effort prompted a 7 1/2-month strike that forced the cancellation of the World Series for the first time in 90 years.

A federal tax-credit scholarship program created last summer under the “Big Beautiful Bill” could send millions to Illinois students, if Gov. JB Pritzker or the Illinois General Assembly decides to opt in.

Grounds, custodial and facilities employees had been on the picket line since Monday.

Officials said the zoo remains open and “animal care continues without interruption.”