Chicago Federation of Labor, Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council announce support for the boycott during rally & speak-out outside the hotel
Today, Chicago hotel workers launched a boycott of the Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown. They were joined by Chicago Federation of Labor Secretary-Treasurer Don Villar and Business Representative Tom Ryan of the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council Local 13 who announced their support for the boycott this afternoon outside the Holiday Inn located at 506 W Harrison Street.
Workers at the Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown make just $19 per hour, which is $6 less than thousands of other Chicago hotel workers.
“My co-workers and I decided to call for a boycott of the hotel because we make far less than other Chicago hotel workers. We work hard and deserve to be able to take care of our families. Until we win a fair contract, I hope everyone will honor the boycott,” said Pedro Raymundo Sanchez, who has worked as a houseman at the Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown for about three years.
“The hardworking housekeeping staff at the Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown deserve to earn the same as thousands of other Chicago hotel workers. In this city, we do not abide workers being treated as second-class. We’ll support this boycott until these workers get what they deserve,” said Don Villar, Secretary-Treasurer of the Chicago Federation of Labor
“The Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council is proud to stand with workers of the Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown as they call for a boycott. We will have these workers’ backs for as long as it takes for them to get a fair contract,” said Tom Ryan, Business Representative of the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council Local 13.
“Workers of the Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown deserve family-sustaining wages and quality, affordable healthcare, just as thousands of union hotel workers have in our city. We are proud to have the support of the Chicago Federation of Labor, Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, and IBEW Local 134 the as we continue to fight to make sure Holiday Inn workers win what they deserve,” said Karen Kent, President of UNITE HERE Local 1.
Housekeeping department workers at the Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown voted to join UNITE HERE Local 1 in April 2023. The workers are asking the public to commit to respect the boycott and not to patronize the Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown until hotel management agrees to a fair contract. Learn more at www.boycottholidayinnchicago.org.
The Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown is owned by LXG. LXG’s website describes Level Construction as “an expertise vertical of LXG.”
