Union Wins $55,000 in Back Pay For Saratoga Hilton Employees

In pursuit of a potential grievance at the Saratoga Hilton the union requested a large amount of records from the hotel in order to audit its banquet financials. This was a daunting task, due to the fact that the hotel had switched management companies from Hilton to Driftwood during the period in question. But the union’s contract has strong protections for members during transfers in management and/or ownership, and so it did not impact the union’s ability to resolve the grievance.

The union was prepared to take the case to arbitration but this did not become necessary when it was able to resolve the matter with both management companies. On May 5, 2017, bargaining unit members at the Saratoga Hilton, some of whom are seen here, ratified a settlement agreement that makes them whole for lost gratuities in the amount of $54,730.90. 

“The Successors and Assigns clause of the contract was such an important protection for these members, as proven in this matter", said HTC Grievance Manager Joseph Messineo, who oversaw the calculation of the back pay along with Local 6 Executive Vice President and HTC General Counsel Richard Maroko, who navigated the legal issues. “We were determined to see that our members were paid properly and we attained that goal.”