Omni takes the money and runs

By Terra Lawson-Remer

In 1993, New Haven reached an agreement with David Cordish, the original developer of the hotel. He planned to buy the former Park Plaza, redevelop it, and reopen the hotel under new management. He promised that 65 percent of the hotel workers he hired would be from the New Haven area, including an equal number in both "front of the house" and "back of the house" jobs. "Front of the house" refers to jobs dealing with customers, such as receptionists; "back of the house" refers to positions in areas like housekeeping. In addition, he pledged to sign a neutrality agreement with the Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union, Local 217.

A neutrality agreement guarantees that a company won't try to stop workers from organizing a union. It does not explicitly guarantee a union, but it does guarantee that workers will have the opportunity to choose whether or not to unionize in a pressure-free environment. It provides equal access to employees for the business and the union by allowing union organizers to talk to workers on site; it pledges that the company will operate a pressure-free workplace; and it allows workers to choose whether or not to unionize by individually submitting signed cards instead of holding a general election.

This is critical because an election, held within a limited time period (usually six months), gives employers a definite advantage as they can rely on tactics of intimidation and coercion to force workers to vote non-union. By contrast, cards are subject to a more lax time constraint and therefore put workers under less pressure. They are not barraged by a "campaign" preceding the election, and therefore have more time to think critically about the issues involved in unionization.

In return for these commitments, the city gave Cordish 10 million dollars to finance the hotel's redevelopment. New Haven wanted a new hotel, along with the good union jobs that would come with it, and was willing to subsidize this development to the tune of 10 million dollars in public funding.

That was the agreement. The developer made a promise, the city shelled out the money, and it looked like it was time for the honeymoon. Then Cordish sold his share of the project to the Omni. It already had the money, but the Omni hadn't actually signed the original agreement with the city.

Therefore, it decided to disregard the previous commitments made by Cordish regarding Omni-New Haven relations, particularly the neutrality agreement. The Omni has decided to fight the union tooth and nail. They simply don't want a union at the Omni.

Everyone is mad, as jilted lovers usually are. The Board of Aldermen recently passed a resolution condemning the Omni. Religious and community leaders are up in arms. Students are holding weekly protests in front of the hotel. The unions and the people of New Haven are furious. This is bad for the city and bad for the residents.

So that's the story. The Omni has taken New Haven's money and run. An affair which started out great for both the developer and the city has ended up leaving many residents in the lurch. Right now, the Omni is bad for New Haven.

Yale has an intimate connection with the Omni Hotel. After all, its official name is "The Omni at Yale." Most of the hotel's business will come from Yale-related events, including conferences, graduation weekend, and parent visits. Take a stand. It won't take much--it won't even take any time, which is a Yale student's most precious commodity. Don't stay at the Omni. Don't hold events there. Don't let your parents stay there. It's time to tell the Omni, and any other potential New Haven developer, that people can't get away with leaving New Haven in the lurch. Help make sure there are no more broken promises.

Terra Lawson-Remer is a sophomore in Morse.

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