Hyatt and workers settle, union looks ahead (terminated employees were rehired with back pay)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2013/01/25/hyatt-and-workers-settle-union-looks-ahead/

Fern Shen January 25, 2013 at 9:39 am

After about five days of testimony about alleged intimidation and improper firing, the Hyatt Regency Baltimore settled a federal unfair labor practices complaint, the union and hotel announced yesterday.

“We agreed to the settlement to preclude a long and costly trial, despite our firm belief that Hyatt has acted professionally, appropriately, and in a way that’s supportive of Hyatt associates,” Gail Smith-Howard, the hotel’s general manager, said in the statement about the agreement, signed Wednesday.

As part of the setttlement, two of the terminated employees were rehired with back pay and a third, who has taken a job elsewhere, agreed “to a substantial settlement,” said Tracy Lingo, of the hospitality workers’ union Unite Here Local 7. (A fourth employee whose employment the union had alleged was unfairly terminated, was rehired earlier.)

During the National Labor Relations Board hearing, which commenced on January 14, an NLRB staff attorney argued that employees talking about working conditions and the union had been improperly fired, harshly disciplined, intimidated and spied-on by management.

FULL story at link.