Hotel, unions can’t get date

Lynn Waddell

Thursday, Jan. 29, 1998 | 11:30 a.m.

First published July 23, 1992.

Frontier owner Tom Elardi says the 10-month strike against his casino could be settled if management could get more information about the Culinary union's health plan.

Elardi on Tuesday asked Culinary leaders to resume contract negotiations.

"We're waiting on them," Elardi said Wednesday. "The ball is in their court. "

But Culinary SecretaryTreasurer Jim Arnold said the striking unions have submitted several dates for a meeting beginning next week through Aug. 14.

"We always welcomed any opportunity to settle the Frontier strike by negotiations," Arnold said. "Good-faith bargaining is the best way to resolve the dispute."

Elardi said the biggest obstacle in negotiations has been the union's health plan. The general manager has requested information to compare the plan with others, but has been unable to get it, he said.

"It's been a major hurdle for us," Elardi said. "If we can just get by that, we could probably meet everything else half-way."

Elardi said he has been asking for health plan information for three years, but has been unable to get it. The hotel filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board to get the information, but it didn't file for everything it needed, he said.

"Our beef is if we are going to spend that kind of money, we should see what it's going for," Elardi said. "Once we get that, we can go to X Y, Z and see if we can get it cheaper. I don't understand why they can't give me that."

Arnold said the health plan is just an excuse Elardi is giving since the hotel owner doesn't want to sign an agreement with the unions.

"Every worker gets all the information he's talking about," Arnold said. "We're given him that and more."

Joel Keiler Frontier negotiator, suggested in a letter to the union that there is a sinister reason for not turning over health plan documents.

"It may be that the plan document does not exist or has not received IRS approval, and that the trustees are violating ERISA; and possibly may be indicted for illegally accepting money without an approved fund; and it may be that employers who are contributing and are taking an employer expense tax deduction are engaged in criminal activity," Keiler wrote.

Arnold called Keiler's allegations "senseless" and "ridiculous."

"They are out to bust the union," he said. "He (Elardi) keeps saying it's the health benefits, but he's not meeting us half-way on anything. He took away their grievance procedure and pension."

Elardi said the reason for another meeting is to formally request the remaining health plan information.

The unions sat down with management in June for the first time since before the strike began. Management submitted a new proposed contract that union officials said gave less to 550 workers than initial proposals. The unions offered a counter-proposal that has since been reviewed by management.

Keiler said Wednesday the union proposal wee worse for management than previous offers.

"It's (proposed contract) is much worse than what the Horseshoe got," Keiler said. "There's about 30 different items that they proposed to us that are worse than what the Horseshoe got."

The same unions were on strike against Binion's Horseshoe two years ago.

Vacation policy was an example Keiler used. Binion's workers can have a week of vacation after 12 months, while the Frontier workers want a week after 11 months.

Frontier union workers also want new employees hired through the union halls. Binion's union contract doesn't require that, he said.

Arnold said the Frontier contract can't be compared to that of downtown hotels, but should match other Strip resorts.