CHICAGO, IL – Thousands of Chicago hotel housekeepers, servers, cooks and doormen have stopped working and are on strike.

Hotel workers are striking for year-round health care.

“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,” said Q. Rivers, a house attendant at the Palmer House Hilton.

“They work us like dogs when it’s busy and then kick us to the curb in the winter,” said Rivers.

Striking hotel workers deserve sick days to see a doctor, workloads that keep them healthy, and wages that keep up with the cost of raising a family.

Hotel workers are on strike at 25 downtown convention and boutique hotels. Affected hotels include the Hyatt Regency Chicago, JW Marriott, Sheraton Grand, and Hilton Chicago. Union contracts with UNITE HERE Local 1 expired on August 31, 2018.

A full list of striking hotels is available at www.ChicagoHotelStrike.org.

***Striking hotel workers and union spokespeople will be available for interviews all day beginning at 5:00AM on Friday at the Palmer House Hilton at 17 E Monroe or by request.*** 

***Spanish-language interviews will be available at the Sheraton Grand Chicago from 5:00AM until 1:30PM or by request. ***

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UNITE HERE Local 1 represents over 15,000 hospitality and food service workers in the City of Chicago and surrounding area.