Culinary can keep pickets at Royale

Lynn Waddell

Friday, Jan. 30, 1998 | 9:51 a.m.

Culinary and Bartenders unions can continue to picket the Casino Royale in connection with the Frontier Hotel strike, the National Labor Relations Board has ruled.

The NLRB in Washington, D.C., released the ruling Tuesday that allows the unions to continue picketing Casino Royale indefinitely.

Casino Royale owner and Frontier General Manger Tom Elardi couldn't be reached for comment.

The unions have been picketing Casino Royale because the Elardi family's Frontier has refused to sign a contract comparable to those signed with other Strip properties.

Elardi first complained that the union's picketing of Casino Royale was an illegal secondary boycott. Regional NLRB officials ruled in favor of the union. Elardi then appealed their decision to the national office.

Union attorney Richard McCracken said Elardi now faces the picket line at the Casino Royale indefinitely because NLRB ruled the picket line could continue even if the Frontier strike is settled. The unions also want a contract for Casino Royale employees, he said.

"Nothing has worked for him," McCracken said of Elardi. "He asked to limit the number of bullhorns picketers could carry and now he's faced with picketing forever."

Elardi took the unions to state court last week in attempts to eliminate a union shanty outside Casino Royale and pickets' use of bullhorns.