Union targets restaurant

Monday, April 14, 2003 | 11:21 a.m.

The local Culinary Workers union has filed a proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission seeking reforms in corporate governance of a company with restaurants in Las Vegas.

Culinary Workers Local 226 filed the statement regarding stock option policies and the operation of The Cheesecake Factory, Calabasas Hills, Calif. The Cheesecake Factory has outlets using that name in Summerlin and the Forum Shops at Caesars and operates the Grand Lux Cafe at The Venetian hotel-casino.

In its SEC filing, the union acknowledged that it is in the process of attempting to organize employees at the Grand Lux. The Culinary has had a lengthy history of strife with the nonunion Venetian.

Chris Bohner, senior research analyst with the Culinary Union in Las Vegas, said the union does not represent workers at the Cheesecake Factory at the Forum Shops and there are no plans to organize there.

"We have limited resources, so I wouldn't speculate on it," Bohner said, when asked if the union also would attempt to organize employees at the Forum Shops Cheesecake Factory restaurant. The union has contracts with Park Place Entertainment Corp. properties, including Caesars Palace.