Chicago Housekeepers Demand Fair Pet Policy

According to WMAQ-TV and the Chicago Sun-Times, housekeepers of a downtown Chicago hotel went on strike this past Sunday, with demands for a “fair pet policy.”

The workers of Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Chicago Riverwalk, who belong to the UNITE HERE Local 1 union, picketed in front of the hotel Sunday morning. In a statement, the union said employees want to return to a former policy that required management to inform housekeepers at the start on their shift that there will be a pet staying in the room they are assigned to clean.

“I have three dogs that I love. But as any pet owner knows, cleaning up after them is extra work,” said Patricia Contreras, who has been a housekeeper at the hotel for five years. “We just want the hotel to alert us whenever a pet is in a guest room. It’s a matter of respect for us and the work we do.”

At the picketed Hilton Garden Inn, according to the TripsWithPets website, both dogs and cats of any breed are allowed, with a maximum of two pets per room. There is a weight limit of 75 pounds per pet and an additional fee charged according to the length of the stay. The policy on the site does not indicate whether or not pets could be left in the room unattended.

Housekeepers due to come into work on Monday were back on the job as scheduled. The hotel declined the Sun-Times’ request for a comment regarding the strike.