Teamsters complain about union buster at MGM, New York-New York

Brian Seals

Monday, April 13, 1998 | 10:16 a.m.

Two votes on union representation at the New York-New York hotel-casino and one at the MGM Grand are planned and labor leaders say the hotels have hired a "union buster" to thwart the organizing attempt.

Some 37 New York-New York parking valets will vote April 22 on whether they want Teamsters Local 995 to represent them. A vote by about 20 warehouse workers and receivers at the hotel-casino should be held during the first week of May, Teamster organizer Rob Rovere said Friday. A vote of parking valets at MGM is likely, but not date has been finalized. MGM Grand and Primadonna Resorts are equal partners in New York-New York.

Rovere and fellow Teamster Ray Isner said the hotel-casinos have hired Carlos Restrepo to hinder union efforts. They say the workers involved have been attending mandatory meetings in the weeks leading up to the vote. The union voiced opposition to a similar situation earlier this year in regard to its efforts at the Rio hotel-casino, which hired Mark Garrity as a labor consultant.

U.S. Labor Department records show Restrepo is no stranger to Las Vegas organizing efforts. He was paid $64,636 in late 1996 in early 1997 for work at the Stratosphere and $74,645 in 1996 for work at Texas Station, both related to failed votes of the Operating Engineers. His services involved "conducting educational meetings with employer's employees regarding (labor law) procedures, the collective bargaining process and labor organizations," according to the documents.

Rovere and Isner said parking valets at New York-New York were being forced to attend meetings conducted by Restrepo on unionization.

"Our valets at New York New York have been in captive audience meetings with them" Rovere said.

Dennis Shipley, New York New York vice president of human resources, said management was talking to employees about the pros and cons of organization to make sure employees make an informed vote. He would not say if the hotel had retained Restrepo.

The MGM's Lynn Holt declined comment Friday.

Though the numbers of workers are relatively few, Rovere said the elections are significant. The union expects a vote for 68 parking valets at the MGM to follow soon.

"To my knowledge there have not been three Teamsters elections here within that time frame," Rovere said.

Rovere added the union is close to getting enough authorization cards signed at two more yet-to-be-disclosed hotel-casinos for the National Labor Relations Board to approve an election.

Meanwhile, the Culinary Local 226 continues its efforts with ARK Restaurants, which provides food services at New York-New York. Kevin Kline of the Culinary Union said 80 percent of ARK employees have signed union authorization cards, but the company has not recognized the union. Kline said the union did not want to conduct a vote out of fears the company would delay subsequent contract negotiations. Instead, the union will focus on pressuring the company to recognize it.

Attempts to contact Paul Gordon of ARK-Las Vegas Friday failed.

Kline said the Culinary Union has a contract with New York-New York employees like housekeepers and bellmen who don't work for ARK.

"We have a good relationship with New York New York," Kline said.