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Economy

Chicago hotel workers enter week two of strike. 7,000 more could walk out.

Strikers at six downtown hotels want raises that keep up with prices. A doorman of 30 years makes $16 an hour before tips.

Chicago hotel workers enter week two of strike. 7,000 more could walk out.
Stock photo, not from the event described. Photo by OSMAN ESPINOZA FRANCO on Unsplash

Hundreds of housekeepers, bellmen, and doormen at six downtown Chicago hotels have been on strike since Friday, Oct. 9, and the fight could get much bigger. UNITE HERE Local 1 says more than 7,000 workers at 46 hotels have authorized strikes, and workers at more hotels "could strike at any moment."

The six hotels on strike are the Palmer House, the Waldorf Astoria Chicago, the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, The Westin Chicago River North, The Westin Michigan Avenue, and the Millennium Knickerbocker, Axios Chicago reported. The contracts expired Aug. 31. Workers at the 46 hotels voted 85% to authorize strikes, Hotel Dive reported. If they all walked out, it would be the largest hotel strike in the city's history.

What workers want

The union is asking for wages that keep up with inflation, better health care and pensions, protections for immigrant workers, and safer workloads. A 2025 Local 1 survey found 32% of members couldn't cover their rent or mortgage at some point in the prior year, and about 29% couldn't pay a utility bill.

David Cerpa has been a doorman at the Knickerbocker for 30 years. He earns $16 an hour before tips, he told Axios. Ashley Anderson, a service express runner at The Westin, said she'd like to see "$30 [an hour] or more."

"Nobody wants to go out on strike. No one," said Karen Kent, president of UNITE HERE Local 1. She has also said "hotel workers are being pushed to the breaking point while greedy hotel honchos cash in."

Where the hotels stand

Marriott, which owns The Westin brand, said it has "well-established protocols in place" to take care of guests and that "we remain available to meet with the local union negotiating committee to reach an agreement that is fair to all parties." Hilton did not respond to repeated requests for comment from Axios or Hotel Dive. A Knickerbocker manager declined to comment.

Downtown Ald. Brian Hopkins said workers are entitled to fight for a better contract but called the timing, on Chicago Marathon weekend, counterproductive. He said the strike "gives the entire city a black eye."

Why it matters beyond Chicago

Hotel work is some of the most common service work in America, and these workers are bargaining as prices outrun paychecks. Consumer prices rose 3.7% in the year through September while average hourly pay rose 3.0%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Oct. 14 (our report). A $16 base wage buys less every month.

Chicago has been here before. In 2018, workers at 26 hotels picketed for nearly a month during a contract fight.

What's next

No new bargaining dates or tentative agreements had been announced as of Oct. 16. Watch whether Local 1 extends the strike to more of the 46 hotels, which include the Ritz-Carlton, The Drake, and Hyatt properties. If you're traveling to Chicago, you can check whether your hotel is on strike before you book.

Sources

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