Cook County Procurement Living Wage Ordinance (Ord. 16-O-50, Ch. 34 Art. IV) requires county contractors and concessionaires to pay at least the Cook County minimum wage adjusted upward annually. Pure private hotels with no county contract are not covered.
Cook County Procurement Code (Ord. 16-O-50, codified Ch. 34 Art. IV) requires every prime contractor and subcontractor on a Cook County contract over $25,000 to pay a living wage equal to the higher of the federal poverty line for a family of four or the Cook County Minimum Wage (currently $14.05/hr 2024, indexed annually). Concessionaires at county-owned facilities including Stroger Hospital, Forest Preserve venues, and the Daley Center are also covered. The rule reaches hotel workers only when the hotel holds a county-funded contract or operates concessions on county property; pure private hotels are not regulated by this ordinance and follow Illinois minimum wage ($14/hr 2024) or Chicago minimum wage ($16.20/hr 2024).
Underpayment triggers contract default, debarment from Cook County procurement up to three years, plus back pay and 12% interest under Ch. 34 Art. IV; willful violations are referred to the Cook County Inspector General.
See how Arlington Heights's hotel living wage rules stack up against other locations.
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