Boston, MA – A new labor agreement has been reached that will open the door for Levy Restaurants to take over as food and beverage provider at Boston’s two largest convention centers on June 1.
Levy and UNITE HERE! agreed on a contract that will avoid higher base wages for hundreds of banquet workers at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center. The workers will instead rely on tips for the lion’s share of their pay.
James Rooney, executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, said the authority would support the agreement if it was cost-neutral to its customers.
The new contract will enable Levy to take over from Aramark as food and beverage contractor on June 1. Levy currently services six major convention centers, including McCormick Place, the Georgia World Congress Center and America’s Center.
With 516,000 square feet of prime exhibit space, the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center is ranked No. 25 in Trade Show Executive’s 2009 directory of the World’s Top Convention Centers. The John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center is No. 87, with 175,000 square feet of prime exhibit space.
Reach James Rooney at (617) 954-2470 or jrooney@massconvention.com
