Teamsters launch strike of employees who staff parking operations at O’Hare and McCormick Place

Workers who staff parking operations at O’Hare International Airport, the McCormick Place convention center and a Hyatt hotel were on strike as of Tuesday morning, according to their union, Teamsters Local 727.

The Teamsters say they represent workers — including parking garage attendants, porters and customer service representatives — who are employed by more than a dozen private companies that staff parking operations at venues throughout the city.

As of Tuesday morning the strike appeared more narrowly focused, with a Teamsters representative naming O’Hare, McCormick Place and the Hyatt Regency Hotel as the locations where workers were currently on strike.

The Chicago Department of Aviation, which runs O’Hare, said it had been informed of the strike this morning. “At this time, there is no impact to the traveling public, and parking operations continue as normal,” the CDA said, adding that any future interruptions would be communicated on O’Hare’s social media accounts.

A representative for McCormick Place said events at the venue were continuing as planned and noted the convention center was served by public transit, including by Metra and CTA rail and bus lines. Representatives for the Hyatt Regency did not immediately comment.

The parking companies are represented jointly by the Chicago Parking Association group, which said in a statement that it remained “committed to negotiating in good faith and reaching a fair agreement that benefits everyone involved while avoiding unnecessary disruptions for Chicagoland commuters.”

The parking workers’ contract expired over the weekend, and the Teamsters said in a news release Tuesday that workers had voted down the employers’ final offer. Workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike late last week, according to the union.

The Parking Association described its contract proposal as “unprecedented” and said it would “deliver workers one of the most generous compensation packages in the parking industry nationwide.” The offer included a 27% increase to wages and benefits over the life of the five-year contract, the Parking Association said.

The Teamsters said workers were striking over unfair labor practice charges, adding that the union has filed or is preparing to file charges alleging a variety of such practices, including refusal to bargain and retaliation. The local’s secretary-treasurer, John Coli Jr., said in a statement that workers were “ready to stay in this fight for as long as it takes.”

tasoglin@chicagotribune.com