THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008

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Embassy Union Employees Begin Contract Negotiations

Workers at Rosemont's Embassy Suites Hotel are currently working without a contract and have begun negotiations with Unite HERE (Hotel Employees Restaurant Employees) local 450.

The contract expired on Wednesday, Apr. 30 and affects between 105 and 115 workers at the hotel, according to Local 450 International Executive Vice President and Treasurer William Biggerstaff.

Biggerstaff said the majority of the hotel's employees are unionized. Unionized workers covered by Local 450 include front desk agents, bell staff, food and beverage employees, housekeepers, and convention services staff. Biggerstaff said the issue of greatest concern would be health care benefits.

He said things are not as bad in Rosemont as the majority of local corporate convention business has not been as hard hit by the recent economic downturn.

Most hotels in Rosemont negotiate individual contracts with individual owners.

The exceptions, according to Biggerstaff, are the two Hyatt hotels and the Hilton in Rosemont that negotiate with an owners group that represents a majority of downtown Chicago hotels.