The Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union ( HERE ) Locals 1 and 450's rank and file negotiating committee voted overwhelmingly last week to approve a settlement proposal. The settlement includes major improvements in wages, healthcare and job protection language.
HERE spokesman Lars Negstad said domestic-partners coverage and a non-bias clause covering sexual orientation were included in the new contract. Negstad also said they won bereavement leave...if a person's same-sex domestic partner dies, they would receive two days paid leave.
Contract highlights also include $3.27 in raises over the four-year agreement for non-tipped workers. This represents a 37% wage increase for union housekeepers. The overall economic package increase is over 54%.
Worker contributions for family medical coverage will decrease from $85 per month to $30 per month over the life of the contract. Employer contributions to the healthcare fund will increase 94% over the four-year contract. In addition, the healthcare benefits will improve in the first year with an expanded network of hospitals covered at 100%, and will further improve in the second year with an expanded network of covered doctors.
The union also won four paid sick days over the life of the contract. The previous contract had none. Other contract highlights include immigrant-rights language and subcontracting and successorship language which will provide a high degree of job security. In addition, the union won improvements in bereavement leave, jury duty pay, and one paid 15-minute break per day.
The settlement proposal is 15% higher in wages and benefits than a "final" offer proposed by management last Thursday afternoon. That offer was soundly rejected by the negotiating committee Friday, making a strike seem inevitable until Governor Ryan stepped in at the last minute.
The new contract proposal will affect 23 downtown and 4 suburban hotels.
Visit www.chicagohoteldeadline.com