Union Wins as Tour Bus Co. Must Give $52K in Back Pay to Workers

TWU Local 100 has forced a Manhattan-based sightseeing company to pay a total of $52,000 to a group of workers it illegally fired for union activities.

Under a signed settlement agreement with the National Labor Relations Board and Local 100, Go New York Tours must pay each former worker between $4,000 and $16,000 in backpay. “This is an important victory,” TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen said. “Go New York Tours arrogantly, callously and illegally fired workers for supporting the union. We fought back on their behalf and won.”

The workers – one mechanic, three tour guides, one boat captain and one engineer – were fired in 2015 as they organized employees to form a bargaining unit of TWU Local 100. The company provides bus and boat tours of the NYC. It has approximately 300 employees. The settlement came after the National Labor Relations Board formally charged Go New York Tours with unfair labor practices prohibited by federal law, including:

• interrogating employees about their union activities and sympathies;
• creating an impression among employees that their union activities were under surveillance;
• threatening employees with loss of bonuses if they selected the union as their bargaining representative;
• threatening employees with discharge if they selected the union as their bargaining representative.

Under the settlement, Go New York Tours must post worksite notices acknowledging workers have the right to join a union - and promising not to impose discipline on employees without first informing Local 100 so officers have an opportunity to intervene.