Culinary tosses support to Brown

Bob Shemeligian

Thursday, Jan. 29, 1998 | 12:02 p.m.

Originally published on March 6, 1992

Two days after former California Gov. Jerry Brown grabbed a picket sign and joined about 200 striking culinary workers in front of the Frontier Hotel, the local union is endorsing Brown for president.

Observers had anticipated that the union would back Sen. Bob Kerrey, but the Nebraska Democrat pulled out of the race Thursday.

"We've made it very clear to all the candidates that if they support us, we'll do whatever we can to support them," said Jim Arnold, secretary-treasurer of Culinary Workers Local 226.

Culinary staff members voted unanimously Thursday at the local office in Las Vegas to back Brown.

"My staff was really impressed with Brown," Arnold said. "We really haven't had much contact with him lately, but on Wednesday (when he joined the picket line) he showed us he was a down-to-earth guy."

Scott MacKenzie, political coordinator for local 226, said many culinary members were impressed with Brown's speech at Wednesday's rally.

"I was very impressed when he spoke," MacKenzie said. "I couldn't believe it. I thought to myself, maybe there is hope. Maybe there is a guy who will do the right thing for America."

Arnold noted that Brown had a good record for working with organized later while he was governor of California.

The vote to endorse Brown had been expected by most political observers. Although Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin has courted labor on the national level, Arnold said Harkin has not been active in Nevada.

But Arnold added that the union is not shutting the door to any Democratic candidate who would face President Bush in the November election.

"We're going to beat Bush, no matter what it takes," Arnold said.

The Culinary Union is the local branch of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union. The international union has not yet backed a Democratic candidate, but the Wednesday's vote is perceived on the national level as a step in the right direction for Brown.

"The local union has 31,000 members, and I'm sure the international union will look at the vote," MacKenzie said.