Hotel strike continues ahead of busy tourism season
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Knickerbocker doorman David Cerpa and UNITE HERE Local 1's Damo Jenkins. Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios
With workers at six downtown Chicago hotels already on strike, their union, UNITE HERE Local 1, warns that thousands more could join the picket line.
Why it matters: A larger hotel strike could disrupt Chicago's tourism ahead of the traditionally busy holiday season, creating reduced services for visitors.
Between the lines: It also comes on the heels of Chicago earning the title last week of "Best Big U.S. City" by Conde Nast for the 10th year in a row.
State of play: Hundreds of housekeepers, bellmen, doormen and other workers continue to picket at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, Waldorf Astoria Chicago, Palmer House, The Westin Chicago River North, Westin Michigan Avenue and Millennium Hotel Knickerbocker, after going on strike Friday.
The latest: UNITE HERE Local 1, which covers about 7,000 workers at 46 Chicago hotels, warned Monday that additional workers could go on strike at any moment if they can't reach agreements with management.
- Workers have been without a contract since August, the union said.
Zoom in: A couple visiting Chicago from New York told Axios they couldn't check into the Westin until 8pm on Friday because of the strike. The desk agent told them not to expect room service as the strike interrupted overall service.
- Commenters on a marathon Reddit channel had mixed reactions, with some expressing support for picketing workers, while others complained that the drumming, shouting and noisemaking disturbed their sleep.
The other side: "Our hotels have well-established protocols in place to operate and take care of guests in the event of any impact to staffing," a spokesperson for Marriott, which owns The Westin, told Axios in a statement.
- "We remain available to meet with the local union negotiating committee to reach an agreement that is fair to all parties."
- Axios reached out to the Hilton several times but did not receive a response.
Between the lines: Union members say they want better health care benefits, pensions, protection for immigrant workers, wages that keep up with inflation and safer workloads.
- A 2025 survey by the UNITE HERE Local 1 union found 32% of its members lacked money to cover their rent or mortgage and around 29% lacked money to cover utility bills in the last 12 months.
What they're saying: "I know that this is going to demonstrate that we really do care about the rest of our coworkers and our employees, and the hotel and the industry has to know that we need something for a better way of life," David Cerpa, a doorman at the Knickerbocker for 30 years, told Axios.
- Cerpa says he earns $16 an hour before tips.
- A manager at the Knickerbocker told Axios the hotel is not commenting on the strike.
Of note: Downtown Ald. Brian Hopkins is concerned about the timing of the strike. "They're certainly entitled to fight for the best contract they can get, and there's a lot of support for them in doing so," Hopkins told Axios Friday.
- "They should all be at the bargaining table, both sides. This gives the entire city a black eye at a time when we normally shine on a worldwide stage, and it's just counterproductive."
- "Nobody wants to go out on strike. No one. People would like to have an agreement. But frankly, you know this is two months [since the contract expired]," Karen Kent, president of UNITE HERE Local 1, told Axios.
Flashback: The last significant hotel strike was in 2018, when workers at 26 hotels picketed for nearly a month.