Workers at restaurants, bars and coffee shops at O'Hare International Airport have voted to authorize a strike amid ongoing contract negotiations.
Unite Here Local 1 union spokesman Noah Carson-Nelson says 84 percent voted in favor of a strike. No date for a possible walkout was set.
HMS Host, the contractor that operates airport dining venues, says in a statement that the eateries would remain staffed even if a strike occurs.
The union says the 1,200 workers covered by the strike vote work as cooks, servers, busboys and bartenders, among other roles. The employees' contract expired in August. The union says workers are seeking higher wages and more affordable health insurance.
HMS Host says the company and the union are currently in contract talks.
