United Center concessions workers reach tentative agreement with Levy to avoid strike

CHICAGO (WLS) -- United Center concessions workers have reached a tentative agreement with Levy to avoid another strike, the company and labor union said on Sunday.

The labor union, bargaining committee and Levy reached a tentative agreement for employees at the United Center during their most recent bargaining session, avoiding a potential strike during the Big Ten tournament, both Levy and Unite Here Local 1 said. Union membership will vote on whether to ratify the agreement in the coming days.

"No work stoppage will occur pending the outcome of the membership vote," the labor union said.

United Center concessions workers staged a one-day strike before a recent Bulls game, and said last week that they hadn't ruled out another during the tournament.

"Very often negotiations like this really do require some defining event that creates an end game for the parties," said Bob Bruno, professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois.

Concessions workers with the Unite Here Local 1 union picketed before the Sunday Bulls game last week. They scheduled another negotiating session on the following Tuesday with the United Center concessions operator, and said in a statement, "If talks do not move forward, Compass/Levy employees at the United Center are prepared to take action at any moment including, but not limited to a strike."

The union said for more than two years, it has negotiated over healthcare and pension benefits.

"Healthcare issues have been at the core for a very long time of a lot of very serious labor disputes," Bruno said.

A spokesperson for Levy, the concessions operator, said the company has offered a number of incentives in the negotiations, including an average $4-$5 an hour increase in wages and a program that would allow the great majority of employees to qualify for healthcare coverage.

But Levy said the union, which represents thousands of area hospitality workers, wants broader healthcare contributions that will "benefit workers who may never work a shift at the United Center."

Levy said the two sides have already met more than 20 times.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.