Protesters march at Bay Club

June Casagrande

NEWPORT BEACH -- A labor union representing Balboa Bay Club workers

took to the streets Friday to protest what its calls a raw deal proposed

by the club’s labor contract.

About 300 demonstrators crowded the front of the club, beginning about

5 p.m.

Demonstrators included members of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant

Employees Union Local 681, as well as members of the mail carriers union,

who were lending their support.

Local 681 is alleging that elements of the contract for about 60 Bay

Club workers are unfair and unreasonable.

Specifically, they protest the Bay Club’s plan to eliminate seniority

as a factor in determining worker schedules, asking workers to accept a

health benefits package without information about out-of-pocket expenses,

a right for the club to hire an unlimited number of “on-call employees,”

and other provisions the union says would give the club unreasonably

broad powers to terminate workers.

“What we want is for them to negotiate in good faith, to consider the

workers and take back some of these proposals they have made,” said

Sergio Contreras, a spokesman for Hotel Employees and Restaurant

Employees Local 681.

Balboa Bay Club negotiator Jerry Johnson said the club’s offer is

reasonable.

“We have presented a fair and competitive offer,” Johnson said.

He added it would be inappropriate to discuss details of the deal with

the media.

“We would rather do our negotiating at the bargaining table,” he said.

Management representatives and workers have met to discuss the

contract about a dozen times since October.

“There’s been little, if any, movement,” Contreras said.

Friday’s demonstration and one on Mother’s Day are designed to move

the negotiations forward, he added.

Contreras said the union has filed four complaints against the club

with the National Labor Relations Board for alleged worker intimidation,

surveillance and other tactics.

Before renovations began at the club, about 180 union members worked

there. About 120 have been laid off since construction began.

Henry Schielein, president and chief operating officer of the club,

expressed confidence that the current disagreements will eventually be

resolved.

“It’s a matter of economics,” Schielein said. “They want things we are

not willing to commit to and vice versa. It’s a give and take. I’m sure

we’ll eventually come to an agreement.”

* June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .