It's hard to tell how serious threats were that this weekend's Belmont Stakes might get disrupted because of a strike. But whatever chance for problems, a new labor deal should lay that all to rest.
The Associated Press is among those reporting that Belmont racetrack workers have struck a deal with the New York Racing Association, which earlier this week chided the Local 3 branch of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for instigating the labor dispute on the week of the big race.
The racetrack workers had been without a contract since February of 2011, just one of the reasons for the potential strike. From the AP:
The major issues were overtime and the structure of the tracks' work week. NYRA runs races Wednesday through Sunday, but the contract covers a Monday-through-Friday week, which means union workers earn built-in overtime on weekends. NYRA was seeking to immediately take away overtime for working Saturdays and Sundays, a move the union said would cut some workers' pay by 30 percent.
The Belmont, which will feature I'll Have Another's quest for a Triple Crown, is expected to draw about 100,000 people.
I'll Have Another will try to become the first horse in 34 years to win the Triple Crown.
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