Thousands of downtown Chicago hotel workers vote to authorize strike
Following unsuccessful contract negotiations, workers at 46 Chicago hotels voted to authorize strikes, with 85% supporting the action. UNITE HERE Local 1 represents more than 7,000 affected employees, including housekeepers, cooks, servers, dishwashers, and front-desk workers whose contracts largely expired August 31. Wages and healthcare are central issues in bargaining, and the union can now call strikes at individual hotels if negotiations remain stalled. If all affected employees ultimately walk out, the union says it would become the largest hotel-worker strike in Chicago history.
See "Thousands of downtown Chicago hotel workers vote to authorize strike", Todd Feurer, Lauren Victory, CBS News, September 23, 2026