Restaurant Strike - New York
 

I am going to New York this weekend and heard that over 20 restaurants may be involved in a restuarant strike. I looked in the papers but could not find it. Could anyone tell me what they know and what restaurants are going on strike. We will be eating at the Acquavit, Post House and
Bellini's. Are those involved??

Was just reading this morning's paper (Daily News) and didn't see anything about it. I'll check with my boss if he heard anything when he gets in.

Nothing in the Times today, so no worries (I presume). I'm no expert on restaurant unions, but I doubt the good people at Bellini would strike -- it's still a "family" restaurant.

Also, 20 is nothing in a city of thousands of restaurants.

Enjoy NYC!

Workers at over two dozen the city?s finest restaurants plan to rally in Midtown Tuesday, threatening to strike at the end of the week unless they get a new contract with better wages and benefits

On Monday, 800 waiters, cooks, hosts, bartenders and other members of Local 100 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if their contract expires Friday without a new deal. Over 25 upscale restaurants in the city would be affected, including the Four Seasons, Lutece and Café Des Artistes.

?We don't want to strike. We want to settle,? said Joan Schroeder, a waitress at Café des Artistes. ?We want to be able to reach a compromise where everybody is happy ? mutual consent. If we strike, we?re out of work. This is our living. We don?t want that to happen.?

The employees are seeking better wages and health care benefits and higher contributions to pension plans. The restaurant owners say that business has fallen since the September 11, 2001, attacks and that giving more to employees would mean raising prices for customers.

?We have given them a proposal, which they have, and we expect the owners to come back with a concrete counterproposal that the workers can entertain and negotiate,? said Dennis Diaz, who organized the rally. ?And the company has come back at this point and refused even to give us a counterproposal.?

Tuesday?s demonstration will take place later in the day Tuesday outside the Four Seasons.