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Congress Hotel Strike Enters 5th Year...


It’s official. The Congress Hotel strike is now the longest active strike in the country. Yet the workers continue to man the picket line everyday. There are no new developments in the strike, and few expect there to be any major breakthroughs soon, but the annual strike anniversary rallys have become a yearly gathering site for nearly all of Chicago’s progressive union activists. Hundreds gathered outside the Congress Hotel in downtown Chicago today, in an almost party like atmosphere, complete with a New Orleans style Jazz band. As fun as the event has become over the past few years, let’s hope it will not need to be repeated next year.

Here is some audio from today’s rally…

Henry Tamarin, President of UNITE-HERE Local 1, talks about the massive turn out of workers and their supporters at the 5th anniversary rally of the Congress hotel strike in Chicago. The strike in now officially the longest running active strike in the country.


http://www.archive.org/details/HenryTamarinAtCongressHotelStrike5thYearAnniversary

Imelda Martinez, employee of the Congress Hotel in Chicago talks about attending the picket line 5 days a week for the past 5 years, at the 5th strike anniversary rally outside the hotel.

http://www.archive.org/details/ImeldaMartinezCongressHotelStriker

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