6 days Ago By Eva Levin
By Eva Levin TD Garden concession workers voted to accept a new contract on Sunday, days after the union threatened to authorize a strike over negotiations. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1445 represents around 600 TD Garden employees responsible for serving food, selling clothing, and customer service. The union released a statement on Dec.
15 saying their membership voted to accept a contract with Delaware North, the company that owns TD Garden. “After months of grueling negotiations and increasing attention from the news media, labor movement, and sports fans across the Boston area, negotiators at Delaware North felt sufficient pressure to move on what had previously been hardline stances and demands for concessions from the membership,” UFCW Local 1445 said on Sunday. In an earlier statement released Dec.
11, the union said they were at the negotiating table for higher commission rates, job loss prevention, better safety protections, and retirement benefits. UFCW Local 1445 said if Delaware North did not meet those needs in a new contract, the membership would vote to authorize a strike. However, the union said, Delaware North came forward with a new contract on Sunday that Local 1445 agreed on in what the union said was a “close vote.
” Delaware North and the union agreed on commission rate increases — the first in 20 years, according to the union. In addition, union members will now see an increase in event minimums and hourly rates for non-commissioned employees. “While there were some aspects still to be desired, a healthy debate that at times turned contentious and raucous resulted in a close vote in favor of ratification,” the statement said.
“Members left the meeting relieved to continue working yet energized to organize and agitate for more strong improvements at the conclusion of this agreement in three years.” Delaware North did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Eva Levin Eva Levin is a general assignment co-op for Boston.
com. She covers breaking and local news in Boston and beyond. Boston.
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