Local 727 Files Labor Board Charge Against Navy Pier, Inc.

Company’s Intimidation of Union Threatens Security, Fire & Safety Officers’ Jobs at the Pier

Teamsters Local 727 filed an unfair labor practice charge today with Region 13 of the National Labor Relations Board against Navy Pier, Inc., the company that manages operations at Navy Pier in Chicago. The charge is for intimidation of the union in its efforts to protect the jobs of 43 security, fire and safety officers who work at the Pier.

“We are astonished at how mean-spirited NPI is toward the Pier’s dedicated public safety employees,” said John Coli Jr., President of Local 727. “After all, people’s livelihoods are at stake here and NPI’s executives refuse to recognize that by hiring another security vendor in the hopes that it won’t honor the current collective bargaining agreement.”

Indeed, Allied Universal, the new security vendor, has threatened to cut the officers’ wages by up to 30%, as well as eliminate their pensions and massively reduce their health care coverage.

“The union will not back down,” Coli said. “We must fight for our members. NPI is a multi-million-dollar company that organizes itself as a nonprofit and apparently, it just wants to save a little money without regard to the huge potential cost in human lives.” To underscore NPI’s misplaced spending priorities, it was reported by the Chicago Sun-Times last June that NPI executives received ‘big bonuses’ even though attendance at Navy Pier has fallen.

Coli emphasized that if Allied Universal doesn’t do the right thing and guarantee the union members’ jobs and abide by the current collective bargaining agreement, the union will have no choice but to strike.

On Monday, May 15, at Navy Pier, the union is holding a rally in support of the officers beginning at 1:30 p.m. The Pier is located at 600 E. Grand Ave. Paid parking options for participants are available at 474 N. Lake Shore Drive. Participants are encouraged to show their union pride by wearing Teamster apparel, including buttons, pins, hats and jackets.

Category: Union News