Boycotting economics in Chicago

The American Economic Association, which is meeting in a couple of day’s time for its annual conference in Chicago, has chosen to keep the Hyatt Regency as the conference headquarters. This means that Registration, the Exhibit Hall, the AEA/AFA and Nobel Laureate Luncheons, all AEA academic sessions and the academic sessions of many other Allied Social Sciences Association societies will be in the Hyatt Regency.*

Right now, the Hyatt Regency Chicago is on the AFL-CIO national boycott list. The reason is, Chicago Hyatt workers have been negotiating for a fair contract with Hyatt for more than two years now. Hyatt has refused to budge on union demands to curb subcontracting and ease working conditions for housekeepers—demands met by Hilton and other hotel employers citywide. In response, Hyatt workers have made tough sacrifices by striking and calling for hotel boycotts. And in December Hyatt announced a threat to strip health insurance from 1500 Chicago workers and their families unless they give up their fight and abandon their boycotts. In so doing, Hyatt is forcing workers to choose between their families’ immediate medical needs and a fight for their long-term survival.

The AEA, for its part, is forcing conference attendees to choose between participating in many conference activities and standing for the dignity of workers by respecting the boycott and staying out of the Hyatt Regency.

* The only concession the AEA has made is to allow preregistration packet to be picked up at the Swissotel on 5 and 6 January “if the dispute is not resolved by December 1st.”