One-day before a planned 24-hour strike, the American Sociological Association said that it would not hold its annual conference in Chicago. The conference, which was expected to bring in around 5,000 people, was to be held in two Hilton Hotels. The Association said that the hotels promised to be able to accommodate them, but that members of the Association were not comfortable with them, saying that they wanted to meet in hotels where workers were treated well and paid fair wages. The move is a victory for Unite Here, who has been pressuring Hilton since their contracts expired in August of 2009. Hilton has said that the strikes are harmful to the employees and Chicago, and that workers receive fair wages and benefits. Other Hilton hotels around the country have faced similar issues.
See "Group cancels conference at 2 Hilton hotels a day before Chicago workers go on strike", Julie Wernau, Chicago Tribune, December 16, 2010