July 19, 2012--Ruling restores housekeeper job at local business

The National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C. has ruled that the past and current owners of Quality Inn and Suites, formerly known as the War Bonnet Hotel, engaged in unfair labor practices against union employees.

The ruling, set down by the presidentially appointed board Wednesday, ordered the current owners to recognize and bargain with Missoula-based Local Union 427 of the AFL-CIO.

Both owners were also ordered to work out a plan to reinstate and reimburse lost wages and benefits to housekeeper and union steward Angie Sizemore, who the board ruled was illegally fired because of union activity.

"This is a big deal," Mark Anderlik, executive officer of Local 427, told The Montana Standard. "We had to work long and hard for this."

Labor troubles at the property go back to 2009. Anderlik claimed the War Bonnet's owners conspired to break the union in order to sell the business. The business was sold in September 2011.

Anderlik said he sent multiple letters to the new ownership before the sale to apprise them of the labor dispute. Initially, however, current ownership claimed the dispute had been resolved by the time it purchased the property. The labor board ruled that was not the case.

Anderlik said the union has the opportunity to sit down with current ownership and attempt to agree on a contract.

Calls to the management of both the War Bonnet and Quality Inn were not returned on Wednesday.

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(c)2012 The Montana Standard (Butte, Mont.)

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