Belmont workers union threatens to go on strike on Friday
Maintenance workers and starters at Belmont who are part of the IBEW Local 3 Union are threatening to go on strike Friday, the day before the Belmont Stakes, reports the New York Daily News. The contract between the track and the union expired in 2010 and was extended to February 2011. Since that time, the union members have been working without a contract. The Local 3 business manager Chris Erickson said the group took a strike vote two weeks ago and has authorization to go on strike.
The dispute is a proposed change to the scheduled work week for track workers. The New York Racing Association runs races Wednesdays through Sundays but the work week is Monday through Friday so employees have been making overtime when working Saturday and Sunday. Erikson estimated that if the proposed work week changes take effect, pay for workers would be cut by 30 percent.
NYRA issued a statement Monday night denouncing the strike threat. "It is extremely self-serving for Local 3 to use the attention and excitement of a Triple Crown attempt to further its own agenda," the statement said.
Erikson said talks held over the weekend went downhill but will continue Tuesday with a mediator. He is hopeful the issue will be resolved and insists the group is not "utilizing this timing to extract anything out of NYRA other than a fair agreement.”
