Hilton reaches accord with hotel labor union

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Full story: http://money.excite.com/ht/nw/bus/20060729/hle_bus-n291485.html



Hilton reaches accord with hotel labor union

Saturday July 29, 4:23 PM EDT

By Deena Beasley

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hilton Hotels Corp. (HLT) said on Saturday it has reached an accord with the union representing North American hotel workers that includes an easing of the company's stance on how hotels are unionized.

Hilton said it had agreed on a new labor contract covering 4,000 workers at its two major New York City hotels that matches a contract ratified last month by workers at 133 of the city's other hotels.

The Beverly Hills, California-based company announced a five-year "partnership for future growth" with the Unite Here union, which has lined up hotel contract expirations in several cities this year as it seeks to improve wages and conditions and boost its membership.

The partnership plan includes working together "on growth where it makes strategic and economic sense, including card check agreements where appropriate," Hilton said in a statement.

Unite Here has been drumming up support for the so-called card-check neutrality process, in which the union polls workers individually and a hotel is unionized if a simple majority supports it. Employers generally prefer a system that uses secret ballots.

Hilton said that about 20 percent of its U.S. employees are union members.