Workers Unionize At Cavanaughs Site

Workers at one of Cavanaughs Hospitality Corp.’s latest acquisitions voted Wednesday to fully unionize.

Fifteen workers in the housekeeping and laundry departments at the Best Western Outlaw Inn in Kalispel, Mont., decided unanimously to join the Restaurant Employees Union Local 427. The two departments usually employ 40 workers in the summer season and about 20 during the rest of the year.

“We look forward to bargaining in good faith with the union,” said Tom Maier, general manager of the hotel. “We expect to begin to negotiate sometime in early December,” The kitchen, dining room, bar and banquet employees at the hotel are already members of the union and signed a new contract with the company in October.

Spokane-based Cavanaughs purchased the Outlaw Inn in June. The Ridpath, also owned by Cavanaughs, is the only hotel in Spokane with union employees.

Cavanaughs owns and operates 18 hotels in the Pacific Northwest.