Culinary election rescheduled

Monday, Feb. 3, 2003 | 9:43 a.m.

TRENTON, N.J. -- A casino union election that had to be held a second time because of irregularities will be re-run later this year.

Local 54 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees (HERE) union agreed last week to hold the election by March 27, according to a settlement it reached with the U.S. Department of Labor. The union, which did not admit to any wrongdoing, has more than 15,000 members who primarily work in the Atlantic City casino industry.

HERE is known in Las Vegas as the Culinary Union.

Officials challenged last year's election after conducting a yearlong investigation that focused on pre-election appearances that Union President Bob McDevitt and one of his opponents made on the "Hurley in the Morning" radio talk show on WFPG 1450-AM in Atlantic City. The Labor Department complained the union is a paid sponsor of the Hurley show and apparently bought nearly two dozen ads directly from host Harry Hurley.

When McDevitt -- who was re-elected in both elections -- appeared on Hurley's show in December, the host mocked McDevitt's various challengers and referred to them by using the names of criminals from the "Batman" television series and other unflattering fictional characters.