Rumors have been flying about the recently renovated "Nice Restaurant" in Manhattan's Chinatown, which will soon reopen under the name "Splendor Restaurant." On April 1, the restaurant's new owner announced that the former Nice Restaurant will be opening its doors in May, and will be hiring 70 new workers. Former employees with union backgrounds are welcome to apply, the owner said. But as of yesterday, members of the 318 Restaurant Workers' Union continued to picket outside the restaurant, accusing the owner of discriminating against union workers and having an insincere attitude toward the hiring process. The protestors called for community members to boycott the restaurant.
Ni Jixiong of the Hong Xing Management Corporation, spoke yesterday on behalf of the trustees of the restaurant, announcing that the former Nice Restaurant, at 35 East Broadway, would soon reopen under the name Splendor Restaurant, now that interior renovations have been completed. Ni said employment applications will be distributed at the restaurant on April 6 and 7, between the hours of 3 and 5 in the afternoon. Interviews will be held on April 15 at the restaurant, and it will open for business at the beginning of May. Ni stressed that the hiring process will be fair, open, and honest, treating all employees equally, and that former employees of the Nice Restaurant with union backgrounds are welcome to apply.
Regarding recent rumors about discrimination in the hiring process, Ni responded calmly, saying that he was only speaking on behalf of the restaurant's trustees; however, he stressed that the restaurant operates according to labor laws, and will not violate any workers' rights. He said that the new restaurant, located on the second story, has an area of 4,000 square feet and can accommodate up to 250 guests. Although Chinatown is choked with restaurants, he said, there are few banquet halls of such size, and therefore the owners are optimistic about its business prospects, as evidenced by the fact that they are willing to pay $5 per square foot to rent the space.
However, a number of workers from the 318 Restaurant Workers' Union who continued protest outside the restaurant said that Ni "silenced" the discussion of the union issue and criticized the owners for hiring a special management company to deal with union workers, as well as issuing flyers to the general public. The protestors called on the community to boycott the restaurant, and warned that those who schedule events there might find their celebrations disrupted by protest actions.
According to 318 Union Secretary Cai Fengjun, the restaurant's claim to have a fair and open hiring process is insincere. Otherwise, there would not be so many rumors regarding union workers.
Cai said that the 318 Restaurant Workers' Union cannot tolerate the restaurant's hiring special personnel to manage union workers. Hiring such personnel is discrimination against unions and an insult to workers, he said, and sets up an antagonist relationship with them, leaving no room for cooperation. If Splendor Restaurant continues to employ these middlemen, the union will definitely boycott the restaurant and escalate its protests.
Ni responded that this accusation is groundless and pointed out that the restaurant has yet to start hiring. He urged union workers to be pragmatic and not heed the rumors, saying that he himself opposes any violations of workers' rights. The company does not hold negative views of any particular organizations, he said, and is merely trying to run a good restaurant, and open up a few employment opportunities for the community.
