A socialist conference in Chicago moved forward at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place while hotel workers across the city were working without a contract, according to the source article from The Gateway Pundit. Video posted to X by an onlooker shows protesters outside the venue.
The venue, sponsors, and expected turnout
The Gateway Pundit reports the event—billed as Socialism 2026—was held at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place with about 2,600 registered attendees. The conference was sponsored by Haymarket Books with other co-sponsors and, per the same report, was endorsed by groups including the Democratic Socialists of America, Organized Communities Against Deportations, and the Black Rose Anarchist Federation. The article names Hasan Piker as a featured speaker.
Union contract lapse and march
According to the source article, UNITE HERE Local 1 members at 46 Chicago hotels—representing more than 7,000 workers—have been working without a contract since midnight on September 1. The union marched on Michigan Avenue on September 2 and said they could strike at any time, per the report.
Protest footage and political reactions outside
On September 4, 2026, X user Brian Costin posted videos showing protesters in front of the Hyatt during the conference and asked whether the event would stand in solidarity with workers or cancel. Links provided in the source: post 1 and post 2.
The source article also states that Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey held a press event outside the hotel. ABC7 Chicago is cited as sharing Bailey’s remark: “It’s no surprise that socialists feel at home here in Illinois. J.B. Pritzker has spent nearly eight years rolling out the red carpet for their policies.” The Gateway Pundit further notes that Hyatt is tied to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s family.
What was on the agenda
The source lists numerous planned sessions, including titles such as: “The Black Path to Socialism,” “Journalism, Authoritarianism and Struggles Against ICE,” “Building the Anti‑War Movement,” “Labor at the Margins,” “Lessons of the Russian Revolution,” “Socialism Beats Fascism: Organizing for a Post‑Trump America,” and “The General Strike and How to Build a Stronger Pro‑Democracy Labor Movement.”
