Union Brings Down the Hammer on Non-Compliant Valet Companies
Teamsters Local 727 has had huge arbitration wins and successful unfair labor practice charges against valet operators who have attempted to shirk their responsibilities under the collective bargaining agreement by not fulfilling their financial obligations to employees and the Union. These companies erroneously thought that they could avoid remitting dues and paying employees pursuant to the CBA and that the Union would let them get away with it. These companies have recently discovered that they were profoundly mistaken. Local 727 has shown that it will demand compliance and strictly enforce the CBA whenever its members’ rights are violated.
The Union has recently successfully fought three of its biggest offenders – Chicago Parking Valet, PAS, Reliable Valet and River North Parking as described below.
Recently, Chicago Parking Valet was ordered by Arbitrator Edwin Benn to pay the Union more than $250,000 in outstanding benefit contributions and unremitted union dues. The Union demanded compliance by CPV and filed an enforcement action against the Company which is still pending. CPV failed to respond to the enforcement order and, as a result, Local 727 is still pursuing the enforcement action in federal court and looks forward to collecting the money CPV owes. In fact, CPV’s owner, Julio Gonzalez, was arrested and hauled into court by federal marshals in November 2017. Gonzalez’s arrest is proof that Local 727 cannot be ignored – it will take enforcement action to the highest levels of the judicial system.
Local 727 is successfully battling another non-compliant employer – PAS LLC. The company has been ordered three times by the National Labor Relations Board to honor its financial obligations to Local 727 by paying back dues totaling about $4,555. When PAS failed to pay the back dues it owed the Union, the NLRB and Local 727 advanced the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, which issued a judgment enforcing the NLRB’s order. PAS was also ordered by Arbitrator Edwin Benn to pay substantial sums of penalties, back dues, and late fees – totaling more than $225,000 – after it had created a sham company to avoid its financial obligations to the Union. Since PAS has failed to pay the arbitration award, Local 727 has filed an enforcement action against PAS which is still pending in federal court.
The Union was also just awarded a huge arbitration victory over notorious valet operator Jack Kupiec when his company, Reliable Valet and its alter ego River North Parking, was ordered to pay more than $400,000 in unremitted dues, unpaid PTO benefits, sick and personal days, and vacation days that were owed to members. Kupiec thought he could dismiss the Union’s demands to pay up, but he was wrong. If he doesn’t pay, Local 727 will be filing enforcement actions to collect the money owed.
“Let this be a lesson to other companies that Local 727 will not tire or be ignored by employers who fail in their financial responsibilities,” said John Coli Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of Local 727. “The Union will always remain steadfast in its efforts to enforce the CBA and will not rest until justice is served.”
Nothing in this article should be read as the union’s waiver of any legal argument, position or additional grievance. The union does not forfeit its right to make any and all supplemental arguments.
