A Boston restaurant is closing just weeks after employees voted to form a union.
Seamark Seafood & Cocktails, which opened less than two years ago in the lobby of the Encore Boston Harbor hotel, will close its doors at the end of March and lay off 56 employees, Unite Here Local 26 reports.
According to its menu, this dock-to-plate restaurant offers seafood dishes such as tuna tartare, grilled swordfish, double clam chowder and local raw oysters. There’s a hidden speakeasy inside called “The Old Wives’ Tale.”
Carver Road Hospitality, which operates Seamark, did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Thursday, March 12. Encore referred all inquiries to Carver Road but provided a brief statement citing financial issues as the reason for the closure.
Encore Boston Harbor said: “In order for any business to take care of their employees, their revenue needs to exceed their expenses. Therefore, we respect Seamark’s right to make decisions it believes are in the best interest of its business.”
Exterior river view of Encore Boston Harbor. Photo by Barbara Kraft.
In February, Seamark employees voted 38-7 to join Local 26, which represents about 14,000 hotel workers in the Boston area. Union President Carlos Aramayo said they had not yet begun negotiations for the first contract when they received notice of the closure.
Local 26 said in a news release that Seamark workers who voted to join the union sought affordable health care with pay comparable to what Encore’s unionized employees earn.
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Aramayo said in a phone interview that Carver Road “has run a very aggressive anti-union campaign” that includes a website called SeamarkElectionInfo.com. The website outlines the voting process and encourages staff to “do your own research and ask tough questions of both sides.”
“The law allows union organizers to make broad claims about the tasks they may perform on your behalf. They are no The website says these claims need to be supported with evidence or facts. Conversely, Seamark managers may not make any Commit to what we may or may not do if you vote yes or no for unity here. “
“While our voice is limited, we can assure you that transitioning from a non-union to a union environment can have a significant impact on any organization. This is especially true at Seamark,” the website continues.
Employees ultimately voted in favor of a union, and 10 days after the vote, the restaurant announced it was closing, Local 26 reported.
Kim Vasquez, a server at Seamark, said she has “no idea” how she will continue to make money for herself and her family after the restaurant closes.
“Less than a month ago, I celebrated our vote to unionize with my coworkers and listened to them sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me. I could see a better future for my coworkers, my family and my father for whom I was the primary caregiver,” Vasquez said in a statement. “I can’t believe Carver Road and Seamark won’t allow us to sit down and collaborate to make this restaurant the best it can be for all of us.”
Union wants Encore to “step in” to “uphold basic labor standards”
Aramayo said the Sinatra restaurant that previously occupied the space is unionized and Encore has the ability to “step in” and take over Seamark’s operations.
“Encore Boston Harbor has an opportunity to do the right thing,” Aramayo said in an interview. “This is a space they’ve operated in before and they can operate it again starting tomorrow.”
Aramayo said in a statement that the union trusted the casino when it said it wanted to bring thousands of jobs to the area. Now, he “can’t help but notice that they’re not there yet, and that when workers unionize, jobs continue to be cut.”
“If Carver Road and its partners are unable or unwilling to uphold basic labor standards for their tenants, we believe they are failing in their responsibility to the community,” he continued.
The state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development has not yet been notified of the warning, but said its staff has contacted the company to support affected workers.
This article originally appeared in the Cape Cod Times: Boston hotel restaurant closing, 56 layoffs after union election
