West Loop Workers Speak Out Against Disrespect at Onni Group’s Emily Hotel
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 7
CONTACT
Sarah Lyons, [email protected], 312-385-0603
West Loop Workers Speak Out Against Disrespect at Onni Group’s Emily Hotel
Restaurant and front desk workers at the Emily Hotel call on owner-operator Onni Group to end disrespect at their West Loop property
CHICAGO – Bartenders, cooks, servers, hosts, baristas, dishwashers and front desk agents rallied with community supporters today in the West Loop to speak out against disrespect at the Emily Hotel, which is owned and operated by Vancouver-based real estate investment firm Onni Group.
A report released today by UNITE HERE Local 1, entitled “Respect Us At The Emily,” details Emily Hotel workers’ experiences of disrespect under Onni Group’s management. Included in the report are descriptions of Emily Hotel management engaging in the following behaviors:
- Encouraging an employee to use a racist slur
- Using homophobic slurs
- Using an antisemitic slur
- Telling a server to wear a “Hooter’s uniform” to work to attract more guests to the hotel
- Joking about a Ukrainian worker’s nationality, calling him Russian
“When my managers used homophobic slurs and other offensive language, I felt powerless to stop it. Today, I know I’m not alone in wanting to make our workplace better. I’m proud that my coworkers and I are standing together against disrespect at the Emily Hotel because West Loop workers deserve better,” said Edson Rebolledo, a front desk agent at the hotel and resident of Belmont Cragin.
“As West Loop hospitality workers, we take pride in working hard to make sure guests have fun, amazing experiences that keep them coming back. But we also want our jobs to be quality jobs where we have respect and dignity. We want to be treated like human beings,” said Caity Gallagher, who works as a server at Emily Hotel’s Fora restaurant and lives in Pilsen.
“I was horrified when my manager encouraged me to use a racial slur. But it felt impossible to speak up in the moment. I felt alone and I was afraid of retaliation. Today, I feel empowered because I know if that were to happen again, I could speak out because my coworkers and I are standing together to end disrespect at the Emily Hotel,” said Tanner Doxey, who works as a front desk agent and lives in Roscoe Village.
While located in Chicago’s trendiest hospitality hotspot, Emily Hotel workers in the West Loop are paid less than union hotel workers in Downtown Chicago. Cooks, dishwashers and front desk agents at the Emily Hotel make over $4 less per than their peers at the Canopy by Hilton Central Loop, for example, a unionized hotel in Chicago’s Downtown.
Of the roughly 60 restaurant workers and front desk agents at the Emily Hotel, 34% identify as Hispanic or Latino and 29% identify as Black or African American. 79% of these workers live in the City of Chicago.
“Emily Hotel workers are taking the courageous step of speaking out to end disrespect in the workplace. Chicago’s West Loop cannot become a true world-class destination while some West Loop hospitality workers are subjected to second-rate treatment. We will continue to stand with Emily Hotel workers as they fight for the respect and fair contract they deserve,” said Karen Kent, President of UNITE HERE Local 1.
One year ago, in May 2024, Emily Hotel’s front desk and restaurant workers voted to join UNITE HERE Local 1. Since then, workers of the Emily Hotel have been fighting for a first contract with fair wages, high-quality, affordable health insurance, a grievance procedure and protections against retaliation by management.
Originally branded the Ace Hotel, the 159-room Emily Hotel made its debut in January 2022 following its acquisition by Onni Group. Onni owns and manages over 11.5 million square feet of commercial property across North America.
The report “Respect Us At The Emily” is available at www.unitehere1.org/emilyhotel.