Although its mutuel clerks have gone on strike and fans will not be allowed in, Hawthorne Race Course will open for live racing Friday night. The races will be simulcast to other outlets and Illinois bettors will have to go to either Balmoral or Maywood or an OTB parlor to place their wagers.
The impasse is a result of an expired collective bargaining agreement, which led to members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers picketing the track. Hawthorne could have replaced the mutuel clerks with other employees, but other unions which have members working at the track would not cross the picket lines.