Venetian out of awards program

Thursday, Aug. 2, 2001 | 10:30 a.m.

Amid opposition from the Culinary Union and some of its own board members, the Latin Chamber of Commerce has decided to cancel plans for holding its 13th annual awards banquet at the Venetian in September or October.

The voices of protest against holding the ceremony at the Venetian centered on the hotel's anti-union stance.

The 50,000-member Culinary Union is at least 40 percent Hispanic and was key in the Latin Chamber of Commerce's decision.

County Commission Chairman Dario Herrera, Nevada's top elected Hispanic official, also opposed using the Venetian for the ceremony.

"The Latin Chamber of Commerce called me for input, and I said I wouldn't be a part of an event at the Venetian," he said.

"This would be letting down the workers of Las Vegas."

The 950-member association of businesspeople uses the yearly event to honor community members and raise funds. It costs $100 to attend and draws from 400 to 450 guests, said Victoria Napoles, assistant to the executive director.

"We didn't want to offend the union or Commissioner Herrera, and we changed our minds in part out of respect for them," Napoles said.

The union has targeted the hotel since before it opened in May 1999.

Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson has opposed the union and has insisted that he offers benefits better than those given under union contracts.

Napoles said that Adelson has assisted Hispanics in the past. The year the Venetian opened, the Latin Chamber of Commerce recognized the businessman for sponsoring a scholarship program for Hispanic students in hotel administration. It even gave the Venetian owner an award in the tourism category at the 2000 awards banquet.

"Still, we wanted to avoid controversy, and also couldn't face the risk of losing money over no-shows," Napoles said, adding that the Hilton or Harrah's are being considered for the event, which will be held Sept. 28 or Oct. 5.