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Union contracts lapse at 46 Chicago hotels, strike risk rises

Unite Here Local 1 says contract talks have dragged on for three months and could lead to a strike, just as Chicago tourism tops 56.8 million visitors in 2025.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Residential

Unionized hotel workers at 46 Chicago hotels are working without a contract after their previous agreements expired at the end of Aug. 31, according to Bisnow.

Unite Here Local 1 warned that, after three months of unresolved negotiations, workers could strike at any time, and said the union is seeking higher wages to keep up with inflation, improved healthcare benefits, more sustainable retirement options, protections for immigrant workers, and safer workloads.

Bisnow reports that a strike could disrupt Chicago’s strengthening tourism industry, where visitors totaled 56.8 million in 2025, generating $21.5 billion in visitor spending and up 2.7% year over year.

Union president Karen Kent said the march along the Magnificent Mile reflected urgency and determination to change the situation, and a survey cited by Unite Here Local 1 found economic hardship among hotel workers, including that 1 in 8 reported using a food pantry in the past 12 months and one-third said they lacked money to cover housing costs.

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