Chamber changes its tune on Culinary pickets

Lynn Wadell

Thursday, Jan. 29, 1998 | 11:14 a.m.

The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce is changing its tune about the ongoing strike at the Frontier Hotel.

The business organization commended the unions Monday on their improved behavior outside the Strip hotel, only weeks after criticizing their tactic s.

"There seems to be much less litter than in the recent past and the line members appear to be conducting themselves with far more decorum than we've seen previously," said Chamber Chairman Denny Weddle in a letter to Culinary leader Jim Arnold. "Apparently, the call to your leadership to redefine ethical and legal boundaries was heard.

"The Board joins me in acknowledging these improvements and commends the union leadership for effecting them," he said. "Our hope is that these new behavior patterns will remain until this unfortunate dispute is resolved."

The chamber has in the past publicly criticized picketers for verbally abusing tourists entering the Frontier.

The unions, however, maintain they haven't changed their behavior since the chamber first complained.

Any incidents of misconduct on the picket line have been minimal, said Dee Taylor, Culinary Union representative "Ninety-nine percent of the time our protests have been clean," Taylor said. "If they weren't, there would have been some criminal procedures taken against the strike."

Taylor said the chamber initially complained after watching five minutes of video showing abusive actions by picketers. Strikers have been taped 24 hours a day since the strike began.

"What they (Frontier management) showed the chamber was like a flea on a whale's tail," Taylor said. "It's not really representative of our picket l ine."

Weddle in his letter said the chamber hasn't taken sides with management in the strike but has been concerned about how tourists are treated.

"The organization would be the first to protect the rights of workers and employee to disagree with each other, Weddle said. "However, we frankly fail to see how harassment, intimidation and abuse of unsuspecting and uninvolved tourists - as evidenced on videotape and through letters -could further your position."