Why We’re on Strike

Congress Hotel housekeeper wage: $8.83/hour,
with no raise until 2010
Chicago standard housekeeper wage: $13.20/hour

• The Congress Plaza Hotel is an 852-room full-service convention hotel, located at 520 S. Michigan Ave. It was built in 1893 and has been staffed by union workers for decades. It is the 5th-largest union hotel in downtown Chicago.

• In 2002, most downtown Chicago hotels were part of a multi-employer association that negotiated a citywide contract with the members UNITE HERE! Local 1. The union represents nearly all the service workers in these hotels, e.g. housekeeping, laundry, kitchen, food servers, banquets, bell/door staff and telephone operators.

• The Congress Plaza Hotel pulled out of the multi-employer association sometime in the mid-1990’s. The contract covering the Congress workers expired on December 31, 2002. Until September 1, 2002, Congress workers had the same wages and benefits as most other downtown hotel workers. Negotiations for a new contract began in December, and continued into the spring of 2003.

• August 31, 2002, members of HERE Local 1 (now called UNITE HERE! Local 1) won the citywide hotel contract covering nearly all union hotels downtown. Workers won major wage and benefit increases. Housekeepers who had been making $8.83 an hour got an immediate raise to $10.00 an hour with wage increases to $12.10 by the end of the contract in 2006. 

• In May 2003, members of UNITE HERE Local 1 were still in negotiations with the Congress.   The hotel implemented its final contract offer, which included a 7% wage cut, no raises for the life of the contract, a refusal to pay increases in health and welfare premiums (resulting in the elimination of health insurance and pension benefits), and the unlimited right to subcontract any job. Under the Hotel’s final offer, a housekeeper working full-time all year would earn only $17,081 a year until the year 2010—while most union housekeepers in Chicago as of Nov 1, 2004 earned $22,984. In other words, the Congress’ offer was 26% below the industry standard. 

• In response to these and other Unfair Labor Practices, Congress workers went out on strike on June 15, 2003. With generous support from many labor, religious and community organizations, striking workers have maintained the picket line since.

• In August of 2006, members of UNITE HERE Local 1 won another contract, this time raising a city-wide housekeeper's wages to $13.20 an hour, with increases to $13.95 by 2009. Now most union housekeepers in Chicago as of August 2006 earn around $27,000 making the Congress’ stagnant wage offer 37% below the industry standard.

• The key investor of the Congress hotel is Albert Nasser. Nasser also is Chairman and CEO of Gelmart Industries, an apparel manufacturer and importer. In March and November of 2004, UNITE HERE visited the Philippines to investigate working conditions in Gelmart's manufacturing network, and published a report on alleged worker abuses at Gelmart’s subcontractors in the Philippines.

• Since the strike began, the Congress hotel has lost over $1 million in business. Hundreds of customers have complained of poor service and conditions including broken elevators, blocked fire exits, peeling paint, crumbling plaster, exposed wiring, dirty and/or wet linens, insect infestation, rodent poison and rodent droppings. The owners have threatened to close down the hotel, and have hired a real estate broker to market the property for sale.

Edwards Walks the Picket Line in Chicago

Hotel sues city, alderman

Congress Strikes Back

Congress Plaza Hotel sues alderman

Walking the Talk