Circus feeds union pickets

Lynn Waddell

Thursday, Jan. 29, 1998 | 11:16 a.m.

In an unusual show of support, Circus Circus Enterprises is providing striking Frontier Hotel workers with meals on wheels until the contract dispute ends.

Circus Circus brought a pink and white catering truck to the Frontier today and fed the Culinary Union members, who have been picketing the Strip hotel for 10 months.

"This is much better than we usually get," striker Vince Curreri said. "The food is hot and there's more variety."

Striking workers lined up this morning to be served by two chefs cooking eggs, hash browns Although workers were cheerful to get the free food, the picnic was not without incident.

Three Metro Police units arrived after two hotel security guards accused a striker of throwing rocks at them.

The striker said the claims were a ruse by management because of the embarrassing media coverage the Circus Circus catering truck was drawing.

Bill Bennett, chairman of Circus Circus, has previously spoken out in support of the strikers and said be decided to provide food for them after observing them on the way to work each morning.

"We at Circus Circus share the frustration of the Frontier strikers at the length of the strike," Bennett said in a letter to the Culinary Union. "For this reason, in an attempt to be helpful to the striking Frontier employees, we have decided to offer to provide meals and beverages to the striking Frontier employees on each shift as a gesture of our concern for their welfare."

Bennett also criticized the Frontier for not providing benefits that other Las Vegas resorts do.

"Employee throughout our community from downtown to nearly all the Strip properties have seen fit to provide, in one form or another, such benefits to their employees," Bennett said.

Matt Walker, a Culinary Union representative, said Bennett's gesture should put further pressure on the Frontier to settle the strike, which started in September when management refused to sign union contracts. About 550 union workers are picketing the hotel.

"It's a pretty strong signal that they (Frontier management) are alienated and isolated," Walker said. "It really means a lot when someone from such a successful company sides with you."

Circus Circus, a publicly traded company, owns the Excalibur, Circus Circus, Slot-A-Fun and Silver City casinos in Las Vegas. It also owns one resort in Reno and two in Laughlin. It is also building the pyramid-shaped Luxor resort in Las Vegas.

Tom Elardi, Frontier general manager, could not be reached for comment today after repeated attempts to contact him by telephone and at the hotel.

Circus Circus already owned the catering truck, but modified it specifically to feed the Frontier workers, Walker said. It will provide hot and cold food and beverages three times a day for strikers.

Normally, the unions supply sandwiches for the picketing workers daily, but the food provided by Circus Circus will be a welcomed change, Walker said.

"It's definitely going to strengthen the strikers," Walker said "I'm sure it will be a lot better food and most of all it's the symbolic support it gives them."

Curreri said Bennett's gesture wee as good as him walking the picket line with workers.

"It shows he (Bennett) backs us up 100 percent," he quid. "It's a real slap in the face to Mr. Elardi."

This summer the unions and management met for the first time since the strike begun, but with little success. Negotiations are on hold while Frontier officials compare the union health plan to private plans.

Workers have been picketing 24 hours day since Sept. 21, 1991. Despite temperatures above lOO degrees, their efforts don't appear to have slowed.

"It's our future. It's our lives at stake," said striker Joann Romersa. "You don't think about how hot it is. You put the cause first."