Union explains decision against picketing show

David Strow

Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1999 | 11:10 a.m.

What promised to be a high-profile clash between two of the most powerful unions in the country never materialized, as the Culinary Union called off plans to picket the Players Choice Awards Nov. 5 at the Hard Rock hotel-casino.

The national awards ceremony, hosted by the Major League Baseball Players Association, drew the wrath of the Culinary because it was held at a non-union property close to the Strip. After learning of the decision to go with the Hard Rock, Culinary officials fired off letters to more than 40 player representatives, asking them to reconsider their decision.

"We shouldn't have a situation where a highly visible union is staying at a non-union place," D. Taylor, Nevada director of the Culinary Union, told Bloomberg News Oct. 4. "We're very much considering picket lines and demonstrations."

But after talks with MLBPA officials, Taylor said he decided a public demonstration would not be appropriate.

"There was initially going to be a protest, but we talked with the association, and found their marketing department had made an enormous mistake," Taylor said. "In the future, things will be satisfied between us and the association. So we did not want to cause them embarrassment and disruption."

Greg Bouris, spokesman for MLBPA, attributed the protest talk to "miscommunication." He said the association committed to the Hard Rock because no other large resort would commit because of the approaching Evander Holyfield-Lennox Lewis championship boxing match, which hadn't been firmly scheduled when the association was trying to schedule the awards ceremony.

The fight was later scheduled for Nov. 13, but the association had already committed to the Hard Rock at that point, Bouris said.

"Nobody wanted to commit, and we most certainly needed to commit," Bouris said. "We pretty much took over the Hard Rock for the days we were there."

Taylor said the Culinary accepted that explanation from the association.

"We took it for face value, and we believe that," Taylor said.

The association signed a two-year pact with the Hard Rock in July. But it has an option to go with another property in 2000.

"We're undetermined as to what we're doing at this point (in 2000)," Bouris said.