Boathouse Strike Ends in Settlement - New York Times (blog)
The bitter, boisterous 44-day strike at the Boathouse Restaurant in Central Park has come to an end, as the two sides announced on Thursday that they had reached a tentative four-year union contract.
The city's main union representing hotel and restaurant workers, the New York Hotel Trades Council, said that reaching a union contract was a significant victory because the restaurant's owner had fiercely battled a unionization effort for months.
The settlement was announced on Thursday morning by the union; Dean Poll, the restaurant's owner; and by New York City's deputy mayor for economic development, Robert K. Steel, who played a major behind the scenes role in pushing the two sides to settle.
Mr. Poll had threatened to close the Boathouse, a major draw for tourists and New Yorkers, if the union continued to insist on what he said were extravagant demands.
Mr. Steel said, "The Boathouse is a one-of-a-kind destination for New Yorkers and visitors, and throughout this process we were committed to its continued success for years to come."
Peter Ward, the union's president, said the union was "delighted" that the strike was over. "We are equally happy to say that our union and the Boathouse employees accomplished our goals," he added.
The two sides said the settlement included raises and union recognition, but they did not immediately disclose detailed terms of the deal.
The contract agreement is subject to a ratification vote Thursday by the Boathouse workers. Union officials said they expected the restaurant's more than 100 workers to vote overwhelmingly to ratify it.
Mr. Poll said, "This agreement is good for our staff, and will allow us to grow and prosper in the years ahead."
The joint statement issued by the city and the two sides said, "Once the agreement is ratified, the city will review the existing Boathouse contract in order to ensure its continued vitality for both the city and its operator in light of these changed circumstances, potentially through financial adjustments and additional capital improvements."
Two officials involved in the negotiations said that Mr. Poll had asked the city to reduce the Boathouse's rent by more than $1 million because a union contract might make the restaurant unprofitable.
Mr. Poll agreed to make significant concessions after facing intense pressure from the National Labor Relations Board. The labor board had told Mr. Poll's lawyers that it was prepared to file a legal complaint accusing the Boathouse of illegally threatening and questioning workers, as well as illegally firing and otherwise punishing more than 15 workers for backing the union.
In addition, the labor board had told Mr. Poll that it planned to seek a highly unusual judicial order to require the restaurant to grant union recognition to the Hotel Trades Council and to enter into contract negotiations, even though no vote has been held to determine whether the restaurant's workers want to unionize.
Mr. Ward said that last winter 70 percent of the employees had signed cards calling for a union.
The dispute had become intertwined with the union's battle with Mr. Poll over a license he won to run Tavern on the Green, the famed restaurant that is also in Central Park. Mr. Poll never reopened Tavern after he was unable to reach a contract agreement with Mr. Ward's union, which represented the 400 Tavern workers under the previous licensee, Warner LeRoy.
22 Sep, 2011--
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNF4rD4dgNDeUNB5MT9DkUGtqUUWNw&url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/boathouse-strike-ends-in-settlement/
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