The Mixer, November, 2007 November 14, 2007 – Executive dining rooms and corporate cafeterias at some of New York City’s most prestigious companies are now closed as members of UNITE HERE Local 100, vowed to walk picket lines at New York Life and 55 Water Street until their employer, the Philadelphia-based contractor Aramark, settles contracts with them. Early in the day, striking workers at New York Life were visited by local city and state politicians as well as Father John Dufell from Church of the Ascension, who expressed solidarity and called on New York Life and all clients of Aramark to help workers raise standards. Aramark food service workers at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Citigroup have already voted to authorize a strike at their location, and collective bargaining agreements continue to expire at Aramark cafeterias across the city. If the food service giant does not commit to raising standards, workers at cafeterias at Bank of New York, CBS, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and the United Nations could join the strike as their contracts expire. Arbitrator rules UNITE HERE is right and CNH must pay workers their $100 bonus One of the disputes that led to a number of large union demonstrations against Canadian Niagara Hotels (CNH), including two with actor and activist Danny Glover, has been resolved by a labour arbitrator’s decision that categorically dismissed all of CNH’s arguments for why it was not obligated to pay out a $100 bonus to all its employees at the Sheraton on the Falls, the Brock Plaza Hotel, and the Skyline Inn. In commenting on one of the arguments, the arbitrator said, “I reject the employer’s submission… that would be, I find, an absurd result in these circumstances which must be avoided.” The employer took the position that no one was entitled to the bonus, and also said that if it was wrong on that argument, that at the very least the casual and part-time employees in banquets were not entitled to the bonus. The arbitrator rejected both arguments. Since an arbitrator awarded a contract in July of 2006, labour relations have been strained, with the union filing a number of grievances demanding that the hotel company abide by all the provisions of the contract. Along with the issue of the $100 bonus, the union has been demanding the company ensure all salary increases are paid and stop its private prosecution of labour leaders and supporters, including Glover, for trespassing after a union rally in 2006. Hundreds of members of UNITE HERE Local 2347 who worked at CNH in July, 2006, will finally be receiving their $100 bonus as stipulated in the contract that was awarded at that same time. Workers’ solidarity secures contract improvements Almost one hundred hotel workers at the Sheraton Ottawa Hotel returned to work in October after voting to ratify a new collective agreement. This followed four weeks of strike action as the Ottawa hotel workers stood strong against concessions being demanded by their employer. Operations at this premier hotel were seriously affected as workers in housekeeping, food and beverage, the kitchen and laundry departments, took strike action in September after the Sheraton Ottawa Hotel, owned by the Keck Seng Group out of Malaysia, continued to insist that workers accept concessions to their Health and Welfare Plan. The Health and Welfare Plan, covering the workers’ dental, health, eye glasses, prescription drug and disability benefits, became the main issue in the strike. The employer wanted the workers to shoulder more of the costs of that plan, a position that led to workers to strike for four weeks. The new collective agreement ensures the employer covers more of the cost of the plan, as well as improving some of the benefits workers can access, like long term disability coverage. The four year agreement also includes wage increases for each year of the new contract. | 
