Union workers cited at Vegas protest

Friday, Oct. 15, 2004 | 11:03 a.m.

The four casino companies affected by a two-week strike in Atlantic City are expected to meet with union officials at the bargaining table today -- the first negotiations since 10,000 members of Local 54 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union walked off the job Oct 1.

The negotiations with Harrah's Entertainment Inc., Caesars Entertainment Inc., Aztar Corp. and Colony Capital follow some particularly harsh words between casino and union officials over the past week, with each accusing the other of a nationwide power grab at the expense of workers.

The Culinary Union has supported its sister union in Atlantic City by passing out leaflets on the Strip, informing Culinary Union workers at the casino companies' Las Vegas properties about the strike and running full-page newspaper ads in Las Vegas claiming that the pending Harrah's merger with Caesars could lead to a rollback in benefits for union workers.

Thursday, about 100 Culinary Union members were issued misdemeanor citations for trespassing during a staged protest in front of the corporate headquarters of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. in Las Vegas.

At least 700 union workers and a handful of Atlantic City strikers demonstrated Thursday morning outside Harrah's offices at One Harrah's Court near Bermuda Road and I-215 in support of the Atlantic City strikers.

Before noon, a smaller group of demonstrators stepped over a public sidewalk and into the Harrah's parking lot, union and Harrah's representatives said.

The group, which included Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer D. Taylor, carried a document for Harrah's executives to sign that pledged that Harrah's would not hire replacement workers to staff its Atlantic City casinos.

A Harrah's official asked the protesters to leave. Metro officers escorted them off the property and to a nearby table where they were issued citations and released immediately.

A Harrah's representative took the pledge from Taylor but did not sign it.

"It was a peaceful protest," Harrah's spokesman David Strow said. "Union members did not resist in any way."

Taylor, executive vice president of gaming for the unions' parent organization UNITE HERE, flew back to Atlantic City on Thursday afternoon to lead the bargaining effort for the union.

The strike affects seven of Atlantic City's 12 casinos, including Aztar's Tropicana hotel and casino, Colony Capital's Resorts Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment's Caesars Atlantic City, Bally's Atlantic City and Atlantic City Hilton and Harrah's properties Harrah's Atlantic City and Showboat Atlantic City.

The companies announced this week they would begin negotiating with the union as one unit. Harrah's and Caesars representatives in Las Vegas say their companies have met the union's demands for higher wages, free health care, subcontracting for union workers and other details except for a switch to a three-year contract.

UNITE HERE claims the companies haven't met those demands in addition or the switch to a three-year contract. The union wants a three-year contract instead of a five-year contract to coincide with three-year contracts in Las Vegas and Detroit, giving it more bargaining clout nationwide.

The properties not affected by the strike include the Borgata, Sands and Trump hotel and casinos.