NEW YORK October Tavern on the Green restaurant—its new operator Dean Poll or the union representing its workers. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
Even though Poll does not take the reins of the high-grossing Tavern until early next year, more than 500 members of the New York Hotel Trades Council, also known as Local 6, already have staged a rally in front of the restaurant in Manhattan’s Central Park. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
Union rank and file gathered there Sept. 25 to protest what they allege are Poll’s plans to cut employee wages, benefits and pension funds as soon as he takes over management of the famous restaurant. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
Poll was awarded a 20-year contract by the city’s parks department in August to operate the fine-dining facility. Soon afterward he reportedly submitted a proposal to union president Peter Ward that Local 6 officials claim would nullify many of the provisions Tavern workers have under their agreement with the LeRoy family, the restaurant’s current operators. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
Ward, who did not attend the rally, said in a prepared statement, “Full-time workers who’ve spent the last 20-plus years as loyal Tavern employees could see their health care plan eviscerated, wages slashed and, in some cases, jobs taken away from them.” —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
At the rally, union spokesman John Turchiano claimed Poll wants to eliminate dozens of positions, pay employees a minimum wage and cut benefits—moves, he said, that would be opposed by the union and Tavern’s employees. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
“We will strike for a hundred years if necessary,” he said. “We will never, ever go away. Anyone who knows this union knows we intend to win this thing and protect our members and their families. And as far as Tavern on the Green is concerned, we want to see that it flourishes, whether that happens under Dean Poll’s management or with another contractor.” —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
Employees last struck Tavern on the Green in 1989 for 10 weeks. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
Poll could not be reached for comment at press time. But Barry LePatner, an attorney representing Poll, said despite repeated requests for a meeting, union leader Ward has refused to pursue labor negotiations for Tavern on the Green. LePatner added that Poll intends to keep the restaurant a union shop when he takes over its operations. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
“Mr. Poll has made it quite clear to the city and the union that he is sensitive to the employees’ needs and has clearly proposed he would maintain the workers’ salaries and current benefits. He intends to have a warm working relationship with the union and maintain the viability of that relationship,” LePatner said. “Let me categorically state that this will be a union shop under Mr. Poll. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
“He is very confident that at the end of the day this will all result in an agreement that is very comfortable [for everyone],” he said. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
Industry observers, however, speculate that the fight between Poll and the union is more about showing muscle than it is about worker benefits. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
“Labor is at a key point in time now,” said a source requesting anonymity. “Peter Ward would like to expand his power.… Tavern is a rare freestanding restaurant he represents.” —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
Another source close to the situation said Poll had contacted Ward within 48 hours of obtaining the Tavern contract to talk about how they could negotiate an agreement that would allow the union to stay at Tavern on the Green but allow him to operate the restaurant profitably. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
The source said Ward told Poll to send him a proposal, and that Poll has been trying to set up a meeting ever since. The source added that the union wants to form its own committees to decide what shifts employees can work and how many hours those shifts should be. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
David Sherwyn, a professor specializing in labor law at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, said Poll is smart to attempt to renegotiate the current labor contract with Local 6 and Tavern’s employees. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
“While this doesn’t seem to be a great way to keep the labor peace, Tavern on the Green has been around for a long time, and it appears there are layers and layers of stuff that are just unworkable,” Sherwyn said. “In all likelihood, [Poll] wouldn’t want to start with that as a basis of employment. It is kind of standard to say to employees that there will be new terms and conditions of employment. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
“One of the areas union people have problems with is that new owners can say, ‘This is how I’m setting the terms of employment,’” he continued. “If I were Peter Ward, I’d want to hold off on a collective bargaining agreement. And if I’m management I’d want to do what I think would end up creating a successful restaurant.” —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
In early September, Tavern on the Green filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. At the time, court papers revealed that the restaurant owed the union, one of its largest creditors, $1.78 million. —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark
Poll, who also operates the Central Park Boathouse restaurant, which is a nonunion shop, was awarded the Tavern on the Green contract after agreeing to spend $25 million to update and renovate the restaurant as well as make it more eco-friendly.— [email protected] —The stage is being set for a possible power struggle over who will control this city’s landmark