Workers at Chicago Hilton and Hyatt hotels voted to authorize a strike

, according to the UNITE HERE union. The vote positions 2,600 workers at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Park Hyatt, Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Hilton Chicago, Drake Hotel and O'Hare Hilton to walk off the job should the hotel companies fail to reach new agreements before current contracts expire on Aug. 31. The union last month noted that contracts covering a total of 7,000 hotel workers at 26 Chicago-area hotels would expire on that date, but said it was "particularly concerned" with Hilton and Hyatt properties, and therefore separated those negotiations. UNITE HERE said more talks are scheduled for this week.