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For over 20 months, UNITE HERE Local 1 has been involved in a labor dispute with several Chicago-area hotels, including the Hyatt Regency Chicago, site of 2011 Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archivists in August. Contracts for Hyatt workers expired on August 31, 2009. On June 20th, 2011, housekeepers, dishwashers, bellmen and other hotel workers went on a one-day strike.
We've compiled a list of actions that can be taken to support the hotel's workers, regardless of whether you're attending the conference, staying in the Hyatt Regency or not. This website allows you to add comments to any item individually.
These are suggestions only, and none of them have been endorsed by SAA, its sections or roundtables, our employers, or even necessarily by us. Our goal is simply to provide members different ideas from which they can draw inspiration to construct a response which best fits them. We also hope that others will provide further suggestions in the form of comments and submissions. Please review our comment policy and contact us if you have any questions.
Mark A. Matienzo, Digital Archivist, Yale University
Hillel Arnold, Project Archivist, New York University
For over 20 months, UNITE HERE Local 1 (a hospitality workers union) has been involved in a labor dispute with several Chicago-area hotels, including the Hyatt Regency Chicago, site of 2011 Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) in August. Contracts for Hyatt workers expired on August 31, 2009. On June 20, 2011, housekeepers, dishwashers, bellmen and other hotel workers went on a one-day strike. SAA issued a press release regarding this situation on April 12, 2011. SAA [...]
Write a letter to SAA Council explaining why you are not attending. Make your action have greater impact by writing a letter to the hotel explaining why you are not attending and urging them to settle the contract. (suggested by Catherine Powell)
Consider staying at an alternative hotel. A list of available hotels is here. SAA’s most recent statement on the labor dispute directly discourages this suggestion. Members are encouraged to read this statement and make an informed decision. Avoid spending money unnecessarily at the Hyatt facilities. Tip employees, particularly housekeeping staff, as well as you possibly can. Write a collective letter of support and send the letter to both the hotel management and union leaders (the u [...]
Contact SAA Council and advise them to consider adding protective language to site contracts that would allow them to break contracts in the event of labor disputes or other concerns regarding social responsibility. UNITE HERE provides an extensive model example of this protective language (PDF). You may also want to consider providing SAA Council and Annual Meeting-related committees with information regarding socially-responsible event planning, such as services provided by INMEX. Honor the [...]
UNITE HERE Information UNITE HERE UNITE HERE Local 1: Chicago's Hospitality Union Hotel Workers Rising Union Hotel Guide UNITE HERE Press Releases June 20, 2011: Hotel Workers Strike at the Hyatt Regency Chicago SAA Groups SAA Council Labor Archives Roundtable Issues and Advocacy Roundtable Host Committee (Annual Meeting) Finance Committee SAA Press Releases on Hyatt Regency Chicago Labor Dispute February 9, 20 [...]
Update on Chicago Hotel Labor Dispute This press release was duplicated from the SAA website; the original location is http://www2.archivists.org/news/2011/update-on-chicago-hotel-labor-dispute. February 9, 2011 - As noted in a January 31 communication with all members, SAA recently learned of a labor dispute involving UNITE HERE Local 1 (a hospitality workers union) and several Chicago-area hotels, including the Hyatt Regency Chicago, site of SAA’s 2011 Annual Meeting. The union is ca [...]
Council Votes to Proceed with Chicago Meeting This press release was duplicated from the SAA website; the original location is http://www2.archivists.org/news/2011/council-votes-to-proceed-with-chicago-meeting. February 23, 2011—In a unanimous decision, the SAA Council voted today “That SAA proceed with plans to convene the 2011 Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, August 22–27.” As noted in January 31 and February 9 communications with all members, SAA had learned of a [...]
Update on Labor Dispute Involving Unite Here Local 1 and Hyatt Regency Chicago This press release was duplicated from the SAA website; the original location is http://www2.archivists.org/news/2011/update-on-labor-dispute-involving-unite-here-local-1-and-hyatt-regency-chicago. April 12, 2011—As noted in ongoing communications with SAA members, Unite Here Local 1 (a hospitality workers union) has been involved in a labor dispute with several Chicago-area hotels, including the Hyatt Regenc [...]
Dear SAA Annual Meeting Registrant: You may be aware that there is an ongoing labor dispute between Unite Here Local 1 (a hotel workers union) and the Hyatt Regency Chicago on the Riverwalk (site of SAA's upcoming annual meeting). Although we support the efforts of all workers to seek fairness in the workplace, the SAA Council voted on February 23 to proceed with the meeting at the Hyatt despite the union's call for a boycott of the hotel. To do otherwise would have incurred an unsustaina [...]