In Solidarity with UNITE-HERE Workers Locked in Contract Dispute

WASHINGTON – The National Association of Letter Carriers union announced today that it has cancelled all food service for its 66 th Biennial NALC Convention July 21-25 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) due to the contract dispute between Local 26 of the UNITE-HERE union and Aramark Corporation, which handles food service at the convention site.

The NALC convention is the largest of any AFL-CIO-affiliated union, with more than 8,800 members already registered to be voting delegates, representing union local branches in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions.

NALC President William H. Young advised the union’s 302,000 members that the opening reception, scheduled for July 20 at BCEC on the eve of the first general session, also has been cancelled. He said all breakfast functions scheduled for the convention center – many with hundreds of reservations – will also be cancelled or moved to other venues.

“I regret having to make this announcement, but this is what the labor movement is all about – solidarity with our brothers and sisters in their time of critical need,” Young said. “Our members could not enjoy their bacon and eggs, sandwiches and sodas knowing that the workers serving them were being denied basic workplace benefits accorded similar workers in others parts of Boston.”

Other NALC convention workshops will continue as scheduled in the convention center, but without any food or beverages, such as coffee, juice, soda, bottled water or pastries.

“Delegates, guests and speakers will have to do without food and drink from convention services during the sessions and workshops,” Young said. “But, we’ll make it through

source: NALC Press Release