Chicago hotels counter Hotel Workers Rising campaign

February 19, 2006

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Chicago Area Hotels Group (CAHG), an organization comprised of leading downtown and suburban Chicago hotels, announced last week that it has launched a comprehensive communications campaign to inform and educate more than 7,000 Chicago area hotel employees about the upcoming 2006 contract negotiation process.

Prior to a rally held here Friday by the UNITE HERE union (See related San Francisco campaign, click here) calling attention to its national unity campaign, the CAHG kicked off its outreach program with the launch of a bilingual website, phone line, distribution of informational flyers at all member hotels and other means to communicate directly to hotel employees over the coming months.

In making the announcement, Greg Saunders, chairman of the CAHG, which is charged with negotiating the employment contract for UNITE HERE hotel employees in Chicago, said, "We recognize that our most valuable asset in serving our guests are the dedicated employees, people committed to service and quality. Our sole focus during the negotiation process is on Chicago hotel employees and ensuring a fair and open negotiation process that recognizes their contributions to our shared success."

Saunders noted that the CAHG is not concerned with the UNITE HERE's national agenda, which seeks to advance employment issues with hotel operators in key cities such as New York, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles. "We respect their right to show unity, but our focus is on what's right for our Chicago employees and their wages and benefits packages," he said.

The collective bargaining agreement between UNITE HERE Locals 1 and 450 and the CAHG expires on August 31, 2006.

Contract negotiations are expected to commence in early summer.

Visit the Chicago Hotel Employees' Information Center or call the Chicago Hotel Employee's hotline at 312-233-1337.

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