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At Long
Last, Love
Omni caves on union cards; labor agreement signed
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Business New Haven
4/20/1998
By: BNH
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Finally.
Omni Hotels and Local 217 of the Hotel, Restaurant Employees & Bartenders union have come to an agreement that will end months of labor strife that tarnished the opening of the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale.
On April 14 an deal was announced that would permit Local 217 organizers to count signed union cards as affirmative ballots in a vote to affiliate with the union. As well, the union and Omni agreed to a no strike-no lockout clause, and established a timetable for negotiations, should Omni employees choose Local 217 to represent them.
In addition, the two parties agreed to a no strike-no lockout clause and established a timetable for negotiations in the event that Omni employees select Local 217 to represent them.
After months of fruitless on-again, off-again talks dating back to last fall, the parties were brought back to the table one last time under pressure from Yale - whose good name adorns the 306-room hostelry and whose director of labor relations, Brian Tunney, was “lent” to the process by Yale President Richard Levin - and New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr., who hosted the 12-hour April 9 session that produced a deal. At the press conference, Omni Senior Vice President John Hopkins joked that final agreement was hastened by DeStefano's withholding of a square meal to representatives of the two sides until the deal was done.
Hopkins emphasized that “This is not a recognition agreement.” Instead, the pact “defines the rules of engagement and establishes cooperation between Omni and [Local] 217.”
Union secretary-treasurer Warren Heyman was more upbeat, calling the deal “a win-win-win-win for the union, the hotel, its employees and the city.” Heyman also noted that, concurrent with the agreement, Elm City Congregations Organized (ECCO) would drop a boycott of the Omni scheduled to commence April 15.
“We look forward at last to an atmosphere of calm,” said Hopkins, “so Omni and its [employees] can continue to develop this hotel.”
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