LAS VEGAS— The local culinary workers union here last week (of April 29, 2002) sent out letters warning of a possible summertime strike at Las Vegas hotel-casinos to 50,000 travel agents throughout the United States. A strike by Culinary Local 226 could cause trouble for the estimated 40 Las Vegas-area gaming properties where union members are currently employed. Representatives of the union said they sent the warnings to alert travelers about a potential strike after union contracts expire May 31 at those properties. According to a recent report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the mailing by the union angered several casino industry executives who learned of the effort when contacted by the newspaper. MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman said a reduction in travel to Las Vegas could hurt the city at a time when the regions tourism industry continues to rebound from its post-Sept. 11 decline. Mandalay Resort Group VP Mike Sloan said the mailing was an attempt to coerce the casino industry. “Its unfortunate that whether there is a strike or not, theyll be hurting business in Las Vegas,” Sloan said. The two-page letter was mailed April 30, 2002, and emphasized the pending contract deadline as well as the contract issues important to the union, which included health-care benefits, housekeeper workloads and wages. The unions political director, Glenn Arnodo, denied the union intended to hurt Las Vegas tourism, but conceded the action was designed to increase pressure on properties to settle. Meanwhile, the union has already set a date for a strike authorization vote: May 16, 2002.
