Contact: Todd Erickson
Tel: (218) 728-6861
Cell: (218) 349-3876
January 4, 2008
For immediate release
UNITE HERE Local 99 reaches a settlement
with The Lodge at Giants Ridge
UNITE HERE Local 99 reached a settlement agreement with Wayzata Hospitality Group, LLC, which owns The Lodge at Giants Ridge, on December 26th, 2007, following a six month labor dispute.
As the existing collective bargaining agreement expired and negotiations were to ensue, workers were laid off from The Lodge on June 30th, 2007 due Wayzata’s effort to sub-contract out the operations of the hotel and food & beverage services in an attempt to evade the union contract. UNITE HERE filed extensive charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), declaring that Wayzata Hospitality Group violated federal labor law. After the NLRB informed the involved parties that it found merit in the Union’s charges and intended to issue a complaint against the company, Wayzata settled the matter to the Union’s satisfaction without the impending legal proceedings.
The agreement mandates the company to abide by the terms of the union contract and bargain in good faith with the Union. The settlement also requires that the workers who were wrongly discharged be reinstated to their positions at The Lodge with full back pay. Wayzata will also have to make health and welfare contributions on behalf of all the workers for the 6 months in which they attempted to repudiate the union contract.
UNITE HERE is pleased that its members are being returned to work The Union leaders and members at The Lodge look forward to moving to the next step of negotiating a new contract with Wayzata. Local 99 would also like to thank the local community, Iron Range elected officials, and various organizations that offered support to our members during this dispute.
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