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Thursday, March 14, 2013

City Labor Pickets Block View of Space Needle

Posted by Goldy on Thu, Mar 14, 2013 at 3:36 PM

Union members picket Space Needle in solidarity with Space Needle workers.

Jasmine Marwaha | Unite Here Local 8
Members of various local unions picketed the Space Needle today in solidarity with Space Needle workers.

Space Needle Corporation CEO Ron Sevart has launched a PR campaign to protect public views of the Space Needle. Now if only he'd care as much about protecting the jobs of his own employees.

“The Space Needle is currently demanding that the City Council protect views of the Needle from South Lake Union,” says Erik Van Rossum, President of UNITE HERE Local 8, the union representing nearly 200 Space Needle workers. “They want a sense of security from the city, and yet they have not given their workers any security.”

That's the issue at the heart of an ongoing labor dispute between the Space Needle and its restaurant and catering workers. Workers are demanding a no-subcontracting clause—the exact same protections the union has successfully negotiated with a number of downtown hotels, including the Westin, the Hilton, and the Washington Athletic Club. But Space Needle management has adamantly balked.

Unionized workers fear that the Space Needle will subcontract catering jobs to its non-union subsidiary at Chihuly Garden and Glass, although management insists that they have no plans to do so. "We have to ask ourselves," says Local 8 organizer Jasmine Marwaha, "Why are they fighting so hard, when all we're asking for is a slightly stronger guarantee against something they claim they have no intention of doing?"

The Space Needle has been a union shop since it opened a half a century ago, and employees have generally been both happy and loyal. But employee relations have steadily deteriorated over the past year as management has grown more stridently anti-union.

After months of refusing to even negotiate with union representatives, the Space Needle finally agreed to federal mediation, which starts later this month. Today's rally in support of Space Needle workers was intended to bolster negotiations. "It doesn't need to escalate," insists Marwaha, who says that the union has no intention of striking "right now." Now if only management would respond in the same spirit, we won't need to worry about picketers blocking our beautiful Space Needle views.

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Comments (15) RSS

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The space needle corp is more concerned about views from their penthouse offices than about their workers that make them the all that sweet cash..shame

Posted by anon125 on March 14, 2013 at 3:55 PM

What a fantastic event!

Posted by gloomy gus on March 14, 2013 at 4:00 PM

We simply need more Space Needles. This will solve everyone's problems. More work, more views, more pointy rotating resuruants with over sized thoughts of importance and terrible food. Yes, more needles indeed.

Posted by Simply Me on March 14, 2013 at 4:18 PM

What, nothing from sugartit on unionizing the stranger?

Posted by Former Lurker on March 14, 2013 at 4:29 PM

Federal mediation? Sounds like bad news for the workers. I betcha they always side with management.

Posted by floater on March 14, 2013 at 4:42 PM

@3 - Actually, the food's not bad. Disturbingly overpriced for sure, but not terrible.

Posted by sperifera on March 14, 2013 at 4:50 PM

kudos to the brave space needle workers who are standing up to protect their own families; it seems clear that the owners only care about protecting profits for the wright family.

Posted by sammydavisjrjr on March 14, 2013 at 5:31 PM

Chihuly spectacles with the space-needle painted upon them [dusts-hands-Colbert-style]

Posted by theophrastus on March 14, 2013 at 5:41 PM

Don't picket you cowards, QUIT.

Make room for people who really want those jobs. Let the market work...

Posted by GeneStoner on March 15, 2013 at 12:53 AM

@9 If only the market did work, that might have been an argument.

Posted by JensR

on March 15, 2013 at 1:25 AM

@10 Oh, it works, it just doesn't work for the workers and the smaller players. Doesn't work for the consumers, either, if left to itself. It only works for the very few at the helm of the biggest ships.

Posted by floater on March 15, 2013 at 1:59 AM

What an obnoxiously distorted account of the circumstances. Shabby "journalism". Do some real research before you "report". Thank you.

Posted by Myth Buster on March 16, 2013 at 1:23 AM

EXACTLY!!! Well said!

Posted by Wef12345 on March 19, 2013 at 11:20 AM

Oh really I see that you are just another liberal complainer

Posted by Wef12345 on March 19, 2013 at 11:26 AM

@Wef12345 What? Who, moi? A "liberal complainer"? That might more aptly describe the "journalist" or slogger and most of the commentators who are following along like little lemmings.

There are some serious misrepresentations and false statements in this "article" or SLOG entry.

SLOG must be an acronym for Spurious Lexicon of Overt Garbles

Posted by Myth Buster on March 20, 2013 at 7:10 PM