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The Central Park Boathouse Strike Is Almost Over!
By
Garth Johnston
Published Sep 13, 2011
Modified Sep 13, 2011
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Sep 13, 2011
Modified Sep 13, 2011
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The nearly month-long strike outside the Central Park Boathouse may finally be coming to a close...and it looks like the union side of the battle may be the winners. No deal has been signed yet, so things could still go wrong, but it currently looks like Boathouse boss Dean Poll has not only agreed to rehire 18 fired workers, he also seems to ready to recognize and negotiate with the New York Hotel Trades Council union. Soon, sub-par overpriced fare in a stunning setting can be yours again—without the guilt of crossing a picket line!
“This is a grand slam for the union,” the union's president, Peter Ward, told the Times. “Dean Poll has done everything he said he’d never do. He’s recognized the union, and he’s agreed to take back close to 40 people.” The move came after the National Labor Relations Board announced it was ready to file a legal complaint against the Boathouse.
Still, before you all start partying like it is May Day, we should note that nothing is done just yet. And despite the seemingly solid settlements for the workers, Ward is not done making demands. The union boss says his people won't stop their walkout (and all the stories of bad behavior it brings with it) until Poll agrees to terms for a full union contract.
This whole imbroglio is not Dean Poll's first run in with unions. The restaurateur was once in line to run the late Tavern on the Green but pulled out after it became clear he could not come to financially acceptable terms with the already-in-place unions at the famed eatery.
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central park
central park boathouse
dean poll
manhattan
tavern on the green
union
workers of the world unite
Garth Johnston
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