unions/hotels on a roll

One by one, hotel worker contracts are being settled in major convention cities. In September, hoteliers and Unite Here, the union representing workers, came to terms in San Francisco, ending a two-year stalemate. The five-year deal, retroactive to 2004, covers 13 hotels. The two sides also struck deals in Chicago, where contracts at more than 20 major hotels — including all Hyatt, Hilton, and Starwood properties — had expired August 31. Of course, the year's not over. Deals are not settled