Frontier doubts strikers had much effect in LA

Thursday, Jan. 29, 1998 | 12:06 p.m.

First published on Jan. 23, 1992.

Officials of the Culinary Union are billing their march from Las Vegas to Los Angeles a success, saying it called attention to the fourmonth strike at the Frontier Hotel.

But a hotel spokesman says the march and the ongoing strike have not hurt business.

A dozen striking workers marched some 300 miles from Las Vegas to Los Angeles earlier this month to call attention to the strike. Also promoted in the march was a bill in Congress that would limit the ability of .employers to permanently hire replacements for strikers

Culinary Union spokesman Donald Taylor said the march gained strong attention in Southern California. Some 6.7 million of Las Vegas' 21 million annual visitors come from that area.

The march ended with a rally in downtown Los Angeles last Friday.

"We found that once people know the plight (of the Frontier workers), they're very sympathetic," Taylor said.

Frontier attorney Joel I. Keiler disputed the effect of the strike and the march to Los Angeles.

"If they had marched to Honolulu, I would have been impressed," Keiler said. "Business is not down. We're happy with our employees."

Frontier officials hired nonunion workers to replace the 550 striking workers after the Sept. 21 walkout.