Union tries to force election at hotel-casino

Tuesday, April 18, 2000 | 11 a.m.

The Southern California/Nevada Regional Council of Carpenters petitioned the federal government to force the Mirage hotel-casino to recognize it as the union representing about two dozen Mirage carpenters and upholsterers.

The union claims more than half of the 22 carpenters and upholsterers at the Mirage have signed cards stating they want the Council of Carpenters to represent them in collective bargaining. This was followed by a signed petition to Mirage management, the union said.

However, the union claims, Mirage officials retaliated by "spying on, interrogating, threatening and coercing carpenters and upholsterers ... engaged in a union organizing campaign."

"We are saying (employees') right to organize has been violated," said Jeff Hermanson, organizer representative for the union. "The only remedy for that is to direct Mirage to bargain with the union."

Alan Feldman, spokesman for Mirage Resorts, dismissed the claims as "typical rhetoric that comes when unions decide they'll draw a line in the sand."

The Culinary Union already represents many workers at Mirage properties.

"They're (the Carpenters) claiming that they are representing our employees ... that's not what we're hearing from our employees," Feldman said. "Our relations with unions are historic and well-known. If they want an election, file and let's be done with it."