Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, August 5, 1993                   TAG: 9308050076
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

UNION SAYS IT WON'T APPEAL IF RESORT COMES TO HEEL

The Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union said it wants Club Resorts Inc., proposed buyer of the Hot Springs property, to meet one of three conditions:

Agree to hire all existing employees and cut jobs only by attrition

If layoffs are necessary, agree that cuts will be by seniority

Establish a fund of supplemental unemployment benefits for idled employees.

The union lost the representation election 561-239, but it contends that employees were threatened the resort would close if they voted for the union.

The union has until Friday to file an appeal with the National Labor Relations Board.

"The actions of the hotel were definitely illegal," said Ron Richardson, union international vice president.

He said the union has a transcript of a meeting that resort owners held with employees the Wednesday before the election "in which they threatened closing the hotel."

Richardson said Dan Ingalls, president of Virginia Hot Springs Inc., which owns The Homestead and 15,000 acres, has asked him not to appeal. He said Ingalls also encouraged employees to lobby against an appeal.

"I got seven calls," Richardson said.

About 200 employees held a rally Tuesday in opposition to an appeal.

Richardson said Wednesday he had not heard from Club Resorts, but needed an answer to his request by today so the union can make its decision.