After six years of wrangling, the Space Needle and the union that represents the Seattle landmark’s restaurant servers, valets and other workers have finally reached tentative agreement on a labor contract.
After six years of wrangling, the Space Needle and the union that represents the Seattle landmark’s restaurant servers, valets and other workers have finally reached tentative agreement on a labor contract.
Details of the tentative contract were not disclosed pending the union’s ratification vote on April 5.
But, broadly speaking, the agreement includes pay raises, pension and full family healthcare benefits through 2020, said Abby Lawlor, spokeswoman for Unite Here Local 8, the Pacific Northwest hospitality union.
It also provides layoff protections during major upcoming renovations that the Space Needle hopes to undertake.
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“Our members won’t have to worry about construction length impacting their rights to return to their jobs,” Erik Van Rossum, the union local’s president, said in a joint statement by the union and Space Needle management.
About half of Space Needle employees, which can number up to about 450 during peak times, are members of Unite Here Local 8. They’ve been working without a contract since 2012, when the last contract expired.
Management of the Space Needle and the union have been negotiating off and on since 2011.
Jeff Wright, board chairman of the Space Needle, said in the statement that the Space Needle provides employees “one of the strongest wage and benefits packages in the tourism and hospitality industry.”
He added: “We are committed to being a great place to work, and look forward to increased accord and alignment for all our team members.”