Chicagoland parking workers end strike before Bears game
An overhead view of Soldier Field in Chicago. Nearly 1,200 union parking workers throughout Chicagoland ended a labor strike before the Chicago Bears host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the stadium on Nov. 8. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) ((Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) / Getty Images)
CHICAGO – Nearly 1,200 union parking workers throughout Chicagoland agreed to a new five-year contract on Saturday, Nov. 7, ending their four-day labor strike.
Parking strike ends before Bears v. Buccaneers game
Big picture view:
On Tuesday, parking workers in the Teamsters Local 727 launched a strike after voting down a contract offer from the Chicago Parking Association.
That’s a group that represents 15 commercial parking operators, according to the teamsters.
The intal strike threatened to impact parking at the region’s commercial garages and surface lots at airports, hospitals and downtown businesses.
What they’re saying:
Per the union, negotiations ran from Thursday into Friday evening.
“The union was prepared and ready to extend the strike lines to Soldier Field, where SP+ Metropolis operates the parking garage,” said the union in a press release.
That’s significant because the Chicago Bears host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Nov. 8.
“Despite claiming into the afternoon that the parking operators had no more movement, management eventually came to the table and bargained in good faith for a fair and equitable agreement for their 1,200 hardworking Teamsters,” the union said.
According to the union, the new contract offers workers wage and benefit increases, as well as new job protections.
That said, the terms of the new contract were not immediately available to the public.
The Source: This story is based on past Fox 32 reporting and a press release from the Teamsters Local 727. It was reported from Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
