Hyatt Regency O’Hare Hotel Workers Stage Strike

Hundreds of Hyatt Regency O’Hare hotel workers staged a 1-day strike on Friday morning in protest of lack of a new contract and understaffing. The strike was part of union protests at Hyatt hotels across Massachusetts, Indiana, California, Hawaii and Canada.

This comes despite improving conditions in the industry and increased profitability at the hotel company, while the property wants to lock staff into recession contracts even though the economy is on the rebound. Union contracts covering the workers and about another 8,000 in the area expired at the end of August last year, and negotiations have been going on since then. The company argues that they have been participating in the talks with good faith for almost a year in several markets throughout the country.

Annemarie Strassel, the spokeswoman for Unite-Here Local 450, the body representing the some 400 staff, said that the Hyatt Regency O’Hare property has been seriously understaffed for months. She couldn’t say how many of the housekeeping, bellmen, banquet and convention services workers had been laid off at the hotel already. Bill Biggerstaff, the president of the union, said that the staff is standing up for the unfair advantage the company took during the recession. They are sick of Hyatt wanting to lock them into a permanent recession with more cuts and cheap contracts.

In a statement, Hyatt said that they have been honoring the contracts in place. Union leaders have chosen tactics targeted to inconvenience guests instead of to find a solution at the negotiation table for issues important to their business and associates, they continued. They are confident, however, they will be able to give their guests the highest level of hospitality and comfort during the walkout, they added.