Culinary Union’s future on line

Lynn Waddell

Thursday, Jan. 29, 1998 | 11:31 a.m.

Long-awaited negotiations, which could impact the the Culinary Union's future on the Strip, were to begin this afternoon to end the nine-month strike at the Frontier Hotel.

Union officials fear that failure to obtain a Frontier contract might encourage other Strip resorts not to renew union contracts.

"It's of utmost importance for all union members, but mainly for the Frontier workers and families which have been out of work all these months," said Jim Arnold, secretary-treasurer of Culinary Workers Local No. 226. "Hopefully we can reach a common ground."

Tom Elardi, Frontier general manager, wasn't available for comment. However, last week he said he was optimistic about the negotiations scheduled today at the El Rancho Hotel.

"I think this a major step," Elardi said. "Before, they have always said, 'Sign, sell or shut down.'

About 550 union workers began picketing the resort in September because efforts to renew union contracts failed.

The Elardi family bought the Frontier in 1989 and union contracts were already in place. When those contracts expired, they were not renewed. Union workers continued to work for the Strip resort more than a year after the contracts expired.

A major disagreement has concerned contributions to the workers' pension fund which the hotel stopped when the contract expired. The halt in pension fund payments was a major reason for the strike, workers said last fall. Higher wages were secondary.

Arnold said even though the strike has been difficult for union members, they will not settle without pension fund and health benefits.

"I'm a real positive-thinking person, but I'm not about to sell the members out," Arnold said "These are the things they struck for."

Recently, politicians have pressured both sides to settle the strike for the good of Las Vegas Gov. Bob Miller has even offered to be an arbitrator; between management and the unions Elardi refused any mediation but agreed to discuss contracts with union representatives.