Suncoast resort opens with no union

David Strow

Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000 | 10:52 a.m.

For the Culinary Union, the Suncoast represents an extension of what's becoming a very uncomfortable trend.

When the Suncoast opened, the 1,800-employee property opened without any union representation. Of the four properties owned by Suncoast operator Coast Resorts Inc., only the Strip-based Barbary Coast has union representation.

"There is no collective bargaining agreement," said David Ross, general manager of the Suncoast. "We've opened the Orleans and the Gold Coast the same way, and we feel we have a terrific wage and benefit package."

This decision made the Suncoast the second Las Vegas resort in a row to open without a union contract. On Aug. 18, the Aladdin hotel-casino opened on the Strip to protests by more than 1,000 Culinary Union members. While Aladdin officials have stated they aren't against a union, they've said they'll only accept one as the result of a National Labor Relations Board-supervised election -- not a "card count," the preferred method of the union.

Strategically, however, Suncoast isn't as critical to the union as the Aladdin. The Aladdin is located on the Strip, where most major casinos have contracts.

The Suncoast is a locals property, a market far less penetrated by organized labor. To date, the Culinary has contracts at four locals casinos -- the Eldorado and Rainbow Club in Henderson, Jerry's Nugget in North Las Vegas and the Showboat on the Boulder Strip.

As a result, the union isn't planning a high-profile clash at the Suncoast, said Kevin Kline, director of organizing for the Culinary.

"We're focusing our efforts at this point at the Aladdin and the Venetian," Kline said. "Obviously, we believe all workers in the Las Vegas Valley should have the protection of union representation. But we can only take on so many fights at one time."

Besides the Aladdin, the union is now in its second year of a public war against the Venetian and owner Sheldon Adelson. Despite repeated protests, the Venetian has stuck with the election-only stance of the Aladdin -- and has watched its financial performance steadily improve since its May 1999 opening.

Just off the Strip on Flamingo Road, the Culinary is also engaged in an organizing battle with the Rio, now owned by Harrah's Entertainment Inc. The NLRB has filed a complaint against the Rio charging property executives with widespread retaliation against workers leading the organizing effort there, charges the Rio denies. A hearing on the NLRB complaint is set for Oct. 23 in Las Vegas.

Finally, the Culinary is still battling for a contract at the Santa Fe, a fight now in its eighth year. The Culinary says it has accepted a contract proposal by the Santa Fe, though the property's owners deny any contract is in force. The property is in the process of being sold to Station Casinos Inc., and the Culinary hopes to keep its representative status at the Santa Fe under Station.

With all these battles raging, Kline said, the Culinary can't commit itself, at least for now, to a fight at the Suncoast. Kline declined to comment on whether the union had been approached by Suncoast employees interested in organizing.

"We're not giving the neighborhood casinos a free ride in this town," Kline said. "But we have to prioritize our resources."