Strike Over, Contract Signed at Central Park Boathouse

Last week, following over a month of employee strikes, the owner of the Central Park Boathouse Dean Poll finally agreed to allow workers to unionize without an election and promised to hire back nearly 40 union employees who claim they were illegally fired earlier this summer. And yesterday the strike officially ended as Poll and the workers signed a four year contract. Sources tell Crain's that workers will get raises and family health coverage and that the city will review its contract with the Boathouse now that the restaurant's expenses are rising.

What may have pushed Poll to the table in the end was a threat from the National Labor Relations Board to issue a formal complaint against him and his management. Workers for the city eventually brought the two sides together where they hashed out a deal at "several late-night bargaining sessions at Gracie Mansion." Crain's speculates that this new deal with the union could reopen the door to possibilities at Tavern on the Green, the property Poll backed out of when his faced conflict with his workers. Though, who knows if he would want it in its current state.
· Bitter Boathouse strike ends with contract [Crain's]
· Poll Agrees to Rehire Boathouse Workers, Recognize Union [~ENY~]
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