Health Benefits Dispute For Yosemite Unionized Concession Workers

By Bill Johnson Published Mar 9, 2005 03:30 pm Updated Jan 31, 2009 02:24 pm

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) __ A dispute over health benefits may move onto the grounds of one of the nation´s most beautiful national parks.

Unionized concession workers at Yosemite National Park are threatening sit-ins and other actions this summer if the company they work for doesn´t back down from a proposal to reduce health benefits. The Yosemite Chapter Local 535 of the Service Employees International Union says Delaware North Corporation Parks and

Resorts wants to increase the amount of money employees have to pay for benefits by 40 percent. The company also wants to increase the number of hours an employee must work to qualify for health benefits.

A spokesman for Delaware North says its demands are reasonable, and that the union is trying to strong arm the company into accepting its terms.