Union goes after Frontier’s wallet

Lynn Wadell

Thursday, Jan. 29, 1998 | 9:15 a.m.

The Culinary Union is trying to pressure the Frontier Hotel into a new contract by criticizing First Interstate Bank, which has loaned the Strip resort money.

If they are loaning money to someone who puts my people on the street, we have that right," said Jim Arnold, secretary-treasurer of Culinary Workers Union Local 226. "It's a two-way street."

Culinary members, who have worked at the Frontier for two years without a contract, voted Thursday to strike, claiming casino owner Margaret Elardi is refusing to negotiate.

For the past six weeks outside local FIB branches, Culinary members have distributed leaflets criticizing the bank's $55 million loan to the Frontier.

The move against the bank was an effort to pressure the Elardis into signing a contract with the union, Arnold said.

"Today you can't win with just having a picket line walk around in a circle," he said. "You have to go after everything within the law."

FIB spokesman Graham McKinney said the bank is aware of the leaflets, but doesn't think its business has been affected.

"There hasn't been any impact on the bank," McKinney said. "They are free to hand out fliers. The customers just ignore them."

Most of the information on the two handouts quotes newspaper articles about FIB's performance this year. One recites FIB's second-quarter losses and gaming loans classified as "high risks."

Frontier management has not commented on the strike, except through a news release Friday apologizing to "any businesses that get caught in the crossfire of the union's actions."

The union also has picketed outside other Elardi-owned businesses such as two Soup Exchange restaurants and two Marie Callender's Restaurants & Bakeries.