Strike possible at any time at Maverick Hotels & Restaurants outlets at Navy Pier
Who: Cooks, bartenders, housekeepers & servers at Maverick Hotels & RestaurantsWhat: Informational picket line with drums, signs, and inflatable ratWhere: Polk Bros Park, near the western entrance to Navy PierWhen: 2:30 to 3:30 PM, Saturday, April 8Hospitality workers at Offshore Rooftop, Lirica Restaurant and Sable Hotel will hold an informational picket line at Navy Pier this Saturday. On April 1, workers at these Maverick Hotels and Restaurants outlets on Navy Pier voted to authorize a strike. There could be a strike at any time.“I’m in constant pain if I don’t take my arthritis medication, but I can’t afford the company’s health insurance,” said Maria Davila, a public areas attendant at Sable Hotel. “Every time I go to the doctor, I am scared of the bill. That’s why I voted to strike.”Housekeepers, bartenders, cooks and servers at these outlets have been negotiating a first contract for more than a year. Last September, 39 employees at Offshore Rooftop and Lirica Restaurant filed wage theft complaints with the City of Chicago. The Office of Labor Standards is currently investigating the complaint allegations.“Guests pay a service charge when they come to Lirica for large events, and we were told that we would be paid a percentage of that charge, but we still don’t know whether our employer is paying us what we’re owed,” said Roger Rialmo, a server at Lirica. “That’s why we filed wage theft complaints demanding pay transparency, and that’s why I’m ready to strike.”On February 24, the National Labor Relations Board’s Region 13 filed a complaint against Maverick Hotels & Restaurants and fellow respondents alleging violations of the National Labor Relations Act. The NLRB alleges that the employer has been “failing and refusing to bargain collectively and in good faith” and failing to provide information necessary for the Union’s performance of its duties. The employer has denied the allegations. “Hospitality workers on Navy Pier deserve respect. And if they decide it’s time to strike, they can count on the full support of Chicago’s labor movement,” said Bob Reiter, President of the Chicago Federation of Labor. “Organized labor in Illinois stands with Maverick Navy Pier workers 100 percent,” said Tim Drea, President of the Illinois AFL-CIO. “If these workers walk out on strike at Navy Pier, we will honor their picket lines.”Offshore Rooftop holds the Guinness World Record for largest rooftop bar, and has hosted events by After School Matters, the USO, and the Chicago Association of Realtors.
