Union: Wynn’s magic gone from Siegfried & Roy show

Monday, June 11, 2001 | 10:41 a.m.

Nearly 100 employees at the Mirage hotel-casino will vote June 19 on whether they want to be represented by a local union.

The employees are all involved in the production of the Mirage's famed Siegfried & Roy magic show, which features the entertainers' exotic animals.

These employees will be asked in a National Labor Relations Board-supervised election whether they want to be represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Artists and Allied Crafts, Local 720.

"There are issues that have arisen since Steve Wynn sold the property," said Dana Pearson, business representative for the local. "Instead of the personal hands-on touch of Mr. Wynn, it's gone to a corporate type of thing. Mr. Wynn took good care of his people, and when he left, the people who took over didn't, because the people who work on Siegfried & Roy came to me."

MGM MIRAGE spokesman Alan Feldman strongly denied claims that the employees' situation had deteriorated since Mirage Resorts Inc. was absorbed by MGM Grand Inc. in May 2000. The combined company is now called MGM MIRAGE.

"We are firmly opposed to the union, and we believe we'll prevail in an election," Feldman said. "We're pleased they scheduled it so quickly so we can get this matter behind us quickly. There have been no fundamental changes in the important areas of work rules, pay, or benefits throughout the merger, and we're in the midst of meeting right now with our stagehands to hear their concerns and to respond as best as we can under the bounds of the law."

IATSE Local 720 represents 4,500 employees in the Las Vegas area. Its members are primarily support employees of the city's stage shows, as well as convention support employees.