Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2003 | 11:09 a.m.
Westin Casuarina workers won't be unionized
When the Westin Casuarina hotel-casino opens near the Las Vegas Strip this month, it will not be a union property. That's according to Culinary Union Local 226, which had represented restaurant and hotel workers at the former Maxim property until it closed a few years ago.
Owners Columbia Sussex Corp. bought the Maxim and gutted it to create a Westin franchise. The Westin franchise is owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc., which owned the former Desert Inn and Caesars Palace -- both represented by the Culinary Union.
The Culinary Union declined to comment this week on whether it expects to organize employees at the property. Starwood owns a number of other luxury hotel brands, including the St. Regis, W and Sheraton chains.
Firm introduces improved hotel booking site
MGM MIRAGE has improved its corporate website so that customers can click through fewer pages to book hotel rooms and view room rates for 10 company resorts in Nevada and Mississippi. The new site also allow guests to view menus and book dinner reservations at more than 22 restaurants at MGM MIRAGE properties and to buy tickets for 10 shows.
About 15 to 20 percent of MGM MIRAGE hotel guests book rooms online, the company said.
The site also links to remodeled sites for MGM Grand, New York-New York, Bellagio and MGM Grand Detroit resorts.
The MGM Grand site now enables large groups to book from a pre-assigned block of rooms, the company said. At New York-New York's new site, customers can buy souvenirs online. Bellagio now offers information in Spanish, Chinese and Japanese and MGM Grand Detroit has more information for customers.
Mohawks set aside money for subcontractors
ST. REGIS MOHAWK RESERVATION, N.Y. -- The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe has set up a $1.4 million escrow account to settle with a group of subcontractors left unpaid for work on a tribal casino.
Mohawk leaders said Tuesday they hoped the agreement would help clear the way for ratification of the tribal-state gaming compact under which the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino has operated for four years.
Subcontractors were caught in a dispute between the tribe and President R.C. St. Regis Corp., which built the casino and managed it after it opened in 1999.
In 2000, the tribal council canceled President's management contract after raising questions about the casino's finances. President sued the tribe. The case is still pending in federal court. As a result, the casino subcontractors have gone unpaid for four years.
Former clerk awarded $8 mil.
POMONA, Calif. -- A jury recommended Tuesday that a former convenience store clerk should receive $8 million because her boss allegedly cheated her out of a winning lottery ticket worth millions, attorneys said.
Arwa Farraj was given about $3.98 million for the value of the ticket and $3.98 million for emotional distress in the verdict against the Circle K store chain and her former boss, Gurinder Ruby. The value of the ticket was based on the actual amount before taxes plus accruing interest, attorneys said.
Farraj claimed she bought a Quick Pick California SuperLotto ticket on Christmas Day in 1999 while working as a clerk at a La Verne store. Ruby allegedly tricked her into believing the ticket was worth $88 instead of $8 million, then cashed it in and received about $2.56 million after taxes, Farraj's attorneys said.
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