Congress Hotel Strike in Chicago

The Congress Hotel Strike will celebrate it’s 4 year anniversary on Friday, June 15, 2007. If you’re planning on being in Chicagoland that day, I would check it out. The Congress Hotel strike is the longest running employee strike in the United States (and probably the world). The picket line will be at the Congress Hotel at 520 S. Michigan Avenue. It is pretty unbelievable that there is a press release for a STRIKE.

The Congress Hotel Strikers and their allies will unite at the picket line in front of the Congress Plaza Hotel to commemorate Chicago’s longest running-strike. Through four Chicago winters the strikers have each walked over 5,000 miles on the picket line in their fight for a fair contract at the hotel.

What’s all the fuss about? The Congress Plaza Hotel is still offering wages of $8.83 per hour for housekeepers, while the citywide standard is now $13.20. The hotel refuses to pay for decent health care and a pension, and wants to freeze the 2002 wages until 2010. Sounds like a good reason to picket to me. There is no way you could live in that city for less than $9.00 an hour.

On the flip side, if you were planning on STAYING at the hotel that night, you may want to reconsider. I just think it would be worth a peek to see people who are dedicated enough to strike for four whole years.