Exterminating the Minnesota Twins would cost 500 unionized vendors and concession workers huge portions of their income, and throw some out of work entirely, says Bill McCarthy, president of Hotel and Restaurant Employees Local 17. The job losses would compound the problems facing hospitality industry workers since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

McCarthy says Metrodome food-service workers fall into two categories: food, beverage and merchandise vendors who work primarily on commission, and concession stand workers, about half of whom work full-time by handling distribution duties as well.

'Vendors basically keep a percentage of sales,' McCarthy said. 'Their income can be quite good.' Concession stand workers earn hourly wages. (Some concession stands are staffed for free by local volunteer and charitable groups, who receive a cut of sales as a fund-raising activity.)

Vendors piece together income
The jobs are at risk if Major League Baseball follows through with its decision to buy out two franchises; the Twins are considered among the most likely teams to be eliminated. McCarthy said Local 17 had not been included in high-level discussions on saving the Twins.

A variety of businesses and elected officials on the local, state and federal levels are seeking ways of blocking Major League Baseball from eliminating the team. For instance, the entire Minnesota Congressional delegation is supporting legislation drafted by Sen. Paul Wellstone to eliminate much of baseball's antitrust exemption.

The Local 17 employees at the Metrodome are under contract with Volume Services, McCarthy said. Most also work with Volume Services for Minnesota Wild games and other events at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, or with Aramark for Minnesota Timberwolves games and other events at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

'They may also work at Gophers games, Vikings games, tractor pulls and the like, whatever other events there are at the Metrodome, but to lose 81 Twins games is a considerable income,' McCarthy said. 'It knocks their income off by at least a third.'

Travel fallout continues
The loss of Metrodome jobs would be more bad news for Local 17, whose membership has been hit hard by the economic slump in the tourism, travel and hospitality sectors.

LSG Sky Chef, the primary caterer at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport, has laid off 150 union employees because Northwest and other airlines have cut in-flight meals. HMS Host, which runs most of the concessions on the airport's concourses, has laid off 150 union workers because of fewer travelers and tighter security that allows only ticketed passengers onto the concourses.

Twin Cities hotels have reduced staff hours because of lower occupancy rates since Sept. 11, McCarthy said. 'It doesn't seem to be getting a whole lot better,' he said. 'Banquet service is down, rooms are down, business travel is down from previous years.

'For the most part, hotels are trying to keep their staff and handle this by trimming hours. They're hoping this is a short-term downturn, and they realize they need to retain staff.'

Overall, hotel employees are taking a 10-20 percent cut in hours, he said, and some of the larger hotels say layoffs are likely. He said the Minneapolis Hilton, for instance, already has closed Carver's, its fine-dining restaurant.

As the industry and its workers ride out the economic slump, 'it's especially important now for union folks to buy union, to stay in union houses, to eat at union restaurants,' McCarthy said. 'We preach that all the time, but it's especially important now that we walk the walk.'

Union Hotels in Minnesota

St. Paul: The St. Paul Hotel, Radisson Riverfront, Radisson City Center, Holiday Inn St. Paul North.

Minneapolis: Best Western Downtown, Crowne Plaza Northstar, Four Points Hotel, Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites Minneapolis, Holiday Inn Metrodome, Hyatt Whitney Hotel, The Marquette, Millennium Hotel Minneapolis, Minneapolis Hilton, Quality Inn and Suites Downtown, Radisson Plaza Hotel, Residence Inn by Marriott.

Bloomington: Holiday Inn Airport II, Radisson Hotel South, Ramada Inn Airport, Thunderbird Hotel and Convention Center.

Rochester: Economy Inn and Executive Suites by Kahler, Holiday Inn Downtown, Kahler Grand Hotel, Marriott Hotel.

Duluth: Holiday Inn Duluth, Radisson Duluth, Willard Munger Inn.

Northern Minnesota: Eveleth Inn, Eveleth; Hibbing Park Hotel, Hibbing; Holiday Inn International Falls, International Falls; Lodge at Giant's Ridge, Biwabik.

Union Restaurants, Bars and Catering

St. Paul: Awada's, Centennial Cafeteria, Cherokee Sirloin Room, Commercial Club, Corral Bar (South St. Paul), Depot Bar, Department of Transportation Cafeteria; Gallagher's, Joe & Stan's, Lendway's Lounge, Mancini's Char House, Mangini's Phalen Park Hall, Nick's Bar (South St. Paul), Pazzaluna Urban Trattoria, The Prom (Oakdale), Savoy Pizza, Snyder's Store, State Capitol Cafeteria, Venetian Inn, West Side Lanes, Wildside Catering/RiverCentre.

Minneapolis: Al's Liquors, Arone's Bar, Broadway Pizza, DiNapoli's Cafe and Lounge, David Fong's, Eagles Club, Halek's, Jax Cafe, Jimmy's, Kelber Catering/Minneapolis Convention Center, Laura's 1029 Bar, Lee's Liquor Bar, Little Wagon, Mac's Sports Bar, Market Bar-B-Que, Minneapolis Club, Murray's Cafe, Nye's Polonaise, River Gardens, Schooner Bar, Union Grill and Bar, Westphal Legion.

This article was written for the Nov. 28, 2001, issue of The Union Advocate newspaper. Used by permission. The Union Advocate is the official publication of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@mtn.org