Barbary Coast, union agree

Thursday, June 20, 2002 | 11:02 a.m.

Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer D. Taylor said late Wednesday he has reached a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with the Barbary Coast that mirrors the rich contract signed by Strip megaresorts.

The deal comes as the union heads into negotiations today with several downtown casinos as a July 1 strike deadline looms.

Taylor said Barbary Coast owner Michael Gaughan agreed to the same economic terms contained in the five-year contract signed by the big Strip properties, giving more than 38,000 union members their largest increase ever in wages and benefits.

"We applaud Michael Gaughan for stepping forward and settling a contract on the same terms as the rest of the Strip," Taylor said in announcing the agreement, which covers 322 Barbary Coast union members.

The Barbary Coast deal leaves only two Strip resorts without new contracts, the Sahara, owned by union-friendly Bill Bennett, and the Stardust, run by Boyd Gaming.

Both properties are said to be close to signing agreements.

Union leaders are to meet with Boyd Gaming negotiators on Sunday, and both sides said they were hopeful a Stardust deal could be reached then.

Rob Stillwell, vice president of corporate communications for Boyd Gaming, said the company also was close to an agreement for its two downtown hotels with expiring contracts, the Fremont and Main Street Station.

Once it settles up with the union, Stillwell said, Boyd Gaming and its chairman, William Boyd, plan to become involved in brokering a deal with downtown casinos that have taken a harder line in the contract talks.

"We'll certainly be in a position to help the other companies find common ground with the union," he said. "It's a role we're very familiar with."

Taylor asked Boyd and his company to take a leadership role in the negotiations on Monday, after receiving a counter-offer from seven downtown casinos and the Castaways on Boulder Highway that the union leader said was designed to provoke a strike.

One of the seven downtown hotels, Fitzgeralds, decided this week to negotiate a separate deal with the union.

The remaining six -- Binion's Horseshoe, Four Queens, Las Vegas Club, Union Plaza, El Cortez and Western -- as well as the Castaways were to meet with the union today.

Attorney Gregory Kamer, who represents the six, said he remained optimistic about reaching a settlement despite the inflammatory rhetoric that has prevailed during the negotiations.

The downtown hotels have said they can't afford the rich Strip contract.