New York: Boathouse Restaurant workers strike against unfair labor practices
60 employees of the Boathouse Restaurant in New York’s Central Park have
walked off their jobs and were joined on the picket line by 37 of their
co-workers who were illegally terminated in retaliation for organizing a union.
In response to low wages, stolen overtime pay, long hours, no benefits, unsafe
conditions, rampant favoritism, sexual harassment, ethnic discrimination, and
management abuse 70% of the Boathouse staff signed union cards in January, and
on January 27, the union petitioned the United States Government to hold a union
representational election. Boathouse management immediately launched a campaign
of terror against the employees.
Management fired 37 workers for their support for the union and aggressively intimidated and threatened the remaining union supporters, many of whom are immigrants.
The City of New York owns the boathouse; Dean Poll is the contracted operator. Under the terms of the operator's contractor, the New York City Parks Commission can cancel his contract and replace him with another operator. You can support the Boathouse workers by sending a message to the Parks Commissioner urging him to do just that! Click here to send a message.
Ron Oswald
General Secretary, IUF
International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF)
8, rampe du Pont-Rouge
1213 Petit Lancy, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 793 22 33
Fax: +41 22 793 22 38
website: www.iuf.org
