Teamsters Local 727 reaches tentative deal to end Chicago parking strike

Teamsters Local 727 reaches tentative agreement to end four-day Chicago parking garage strike

“The terms of this new agreement protects bargaining unit work against emerging technologies, increases PTO, provides a new retiree benefit, and will provide the largest benefit and wage increases ever achieved by the Union in the parking industry,” Teamsters Local 727 secretary-treasurer John Coli Jr. said after hundreds of workers reached a tentative agreement on a new contract following a four-day strike, cbsnews.com reported.

The walkout involved approximately 1,200 members of Teamsters Local 727 working for 15 parking companies across the Chicago area, affecting lots and garages at O’Hare and Midway airports, Soldier Field, McCormick Place, hotels, and roughly 200 locations total. Workers hit the picket lines on Tuesday following a Monday vote rejecting the companies’ latest contract offer. The previous agreement had expired on Saturday, with 98% of voting members having authorized a strike over allegations that the Chicago Parking Association was engaging in unfair labor practices and negotiating in bad faith.

Negotiations came to a head on Friday afternoon as a Sunday night Chicago Bears game at Soldier Field loomed with the distinct possibility of unstaffed parking lots. By that point, more than 30 separate unfair labor practice charges were pending against operators including SP Plus/Metropolis, LAZ Parking, Interpark, ABM, Imperial/Reimagine Parking, Legacy Parking, ACE, Peoples Auto Park, Advance Parking, Metro Valet, Park Plus, Pioneer Parking, Vargas, Secure Parking, and Windy City Parking Services.

Despite the picket lines, parking operations continued normally on Tuesday at O’Hare and McCormick Place, both sites confirmed, though representatives for Hyatt Regency did not respond to requests for comment, according to chicago.suntimes.com. abc7chicago.com reported that the strike was prompted by contract offers failing to keep pace with inflation and rising healthcare costs.

Chicago Parking Association responds as operations prepare to resume

With the tentative settlement reached on Friday, parking operations are expected to resume immediately. A Chicago Parking Association spokesperson expressed relief in a statement, noting that the organization looks forward to continuing to serve customers throughout Chicagoland and appreciating the public’s patience.

The rank-and-file union members must still formally ratify the tentative agreement before the process concludes.

More on this story: Chicago Parking Workers Launch Strike Across Region