UNITE HERE Reaches Tentative Agreement with Hyatt, Chicago
Covering 1,900 Workers at Four Hotels
CHICAGO, IL, September 4, 2006. UNITE HERE Locals 1 & 450 announced a tentative agreement with Hyatt in Chicago covering 1,900 workers at four area hotels. The agreement was reached late Sunday night. Hotels covered include the Hyatt Regency Chicago, the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and the Park Hyatt Chicago.
"We are very pleased to reach this agreement with Hyatt. We're proud that one of the world's largest hotel companies has its global headquarters here in Chicago," said Local 1 President Henry Tamarin. "However, we remain deeply concerned about more than 2,000 union brothers and sisters who have been working without contracts in five Hyatts in San Francisco, Honolulu and Monterey, California."
Hyatt has been engaged in a brutal labor dispute in San Francisco, where the company locked out workers at two properties in the fall of 2004 for nearly two months. Workers there have been working without a contract since September 2004, and have not seen a raise during that period.
"We cannot let Global Hyatt get away with what they are doing in other cities. This Thursday, we will march on their corporate headquarters to demand justice in California and Hawaii," said President Tamarin. Hundreds of workers are expected for the march on Global Hyatt, 71 S. Wacker Drive, on Thursday September 7 at 4:30 - 6:30 pm.
The tentative Chicago agreement with Hyatt mirrors one reached with Hilton last week. Hilton workers are scheduled to vote on ratification on Wednesday September 6. Details of the settlement will be released after ratification.
Contracts remain unsettled with the Starwood chain, covering 5 area properties. Another 11 properties, including the Ritz Carlton, Fairmont and others have signed "me-too" agreements with the union. A "me-too" agreement means the hotels will adopt the same terms negotiated by Starwood.
In addition, the Allerton Crowne Plaza and Hotel Raffaello in downtown Chicago have delayed negotiations, signaling potential labor disputes to come.
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