Union: Demonstration is just the beginning

Tuesday, May 4, 1999 | 10:36 a.m.

Culinary Union leaders predicted Monday that a massive opening day demonstration outside the Venetian was just a taste of what lies ahead in a bitter labor battle at the Strip's newest megaresort.

"We got our point across," said Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Jim Arnold, as the union wound down a spirited evening protest. "Sheldon Adelson had a soft opening. Well, we had a soft demonstration."

Culinary Staff Director D. Taylor added: "We expect this to be a long and difficult campaign, but we've already demonstrated our tenacity in the past."

Police estimated that about 1,800 Culinary Union members, most carrying anti-Adelson signs and chanting pro-union slogans, participated in the rally, which took place from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., while the hotel-casino frantically made last-minute preparations to open to the public. Union officials estimated the number of protestors at 2,500.

Another 1,000 Culinary pickets marched on the sidewalks during a two-hour morning protest. City Councilman Arnie Adamsen, who's been endorsed by the union, skipped some last-minute campaigning in the mayor's race to participate in the morning demonstration.

About two dozen Metro Police officers under the command of Capt. Doug Gillespie were on hand to keep the peace.

Gillespie said the day of protesting went off without any incidents.

"It was a peaceful union rally," he said.

Bill Barnes, a San Francisco consultant Adelson hired to help him respond to the union assault, called the demonstrations a "smokescreen."

"This whole thing is manufactured," Barnes said. "There's no reason for them to be here. If their goal is to support Las Vegas employees and help them get better jobs, better benefits and better wages, they should be supporting the Venetian."

Union leaders contend Adelson has failed to give workers at the demolished Sands hotel-casino first crack at Venetian jobs and won't give the Culinary an even playing field to organize some 4,000 of its employees. Adelson maintains that his workers don't need to join the union because they're getting a superior wage and benefit package.

Arnold said the evening rally was cut short out of respect for Reach Out, a local center that helps children with AIDS. As the demonstrators marched on the Strip, Adelson held a black tie benefit for Reach Out inside the Venetian to celebrate the hotel's opening. Numerous elected officials, including Gov. Kenny Guinn and Mayor Jan Laverty Jones, stayed away from the benefit to honor the union picket line. But Mirage Resorts Chairman Steve Wynn, who enjoys a good relationship with the union, was among those who attended.

Earlier in the day, Guinn, at the personal request of Arnold, ordered the Nevada Department of Transportation to give the union permission to use a lane of traffic for its larger evening demonstration to ensure the safety of the pickets and tourists walking along the crowded sidewalk. But because of a paperwork foul-up, the extra lane could not be used.

Temporary canopies the Venetian erected on the sidewalk had taken up space and made it more difficult for demonstrators.

As they marched, hundreds of pickets wore T-shirts and carried signs bearing a picture of Adelson with the slogan "union rights, civil rights -- one in the same."

Throughout the protests, there were chants of "Adelson says go away; we say no way" and "we're going to beat back Sheldon's attack."

The union, the Venetian and police all videotaped the demonstrations in anticipation of possible legal action down the road. More than a dozen plain clothes and uniformed Venetian security officers watched the rallies behind barricades set up on the property. Some held sound meters to test the noise level of the pickets who often sang to music from a large boom box.

"It's a shame we have to go through this," Arnold said. "But we're going to protect the standard of living for all hotel workers in this community."

Glen Arnodo, the Culinary's political director, said the demonstrations were key to the future of union movement in Las Vegas.

"Adelson wants to pursue a path of confrontation as opposed to cooperation, which every other owner has embarked on," Arnodo said. "We've proven our ability to fight. We'll be here as long as it takes."

Barnes said he didn't expect the union troubles would hurt business at the Venetian.

"My sense is in the longterm the property is going to stand on its own merit," he said. "If it's a good property and they run it like a world-class hotel, people are going to come. They're going to trample right over whatever demonstrators are out there."

Barnes said the real issue in the dispute is not about whether Venetian employees are unhappy.

"It's the union out here who's unhappy," he said. "Inside, the employees are happy."

On the picket line, Linda Constable, a 51-year-old former Sands employee, explained why she was participating in the protests.

"I'm a good worker," said Constable, who spent 15 years as a Sands cocktail waitress until Adelson demolished the Sands to make room for the Venetian. "There's no reason why I shouldn't be working in that hotel."

Added David Davis, a 39-year-old former Sands kitchen worker: "This is basically a fight for this town. If we let Sheldon Adelson break the union here, other resorts will follow."