Entries from September 9, 2007 - September 15, 2007
Possible Culinary Strike
When I was growing up back in the 1960s and my mom was working as one of the head waitresses at Caesars Palace Circus Maximus, the word STRIKE struck fear in our family. It meant mom would be walking a picket line and without a paycheck or the great tips from being a great waitress. The Culinary Union welded great power back then.
After one crippling strike, the head of the Union, Al Bramlett (beloved by many who had come from small Southern towns where they picked cotton from sun up to sun down earning less than $3 a day) went missing and was found later in a shallow grave in the desert. There were a couple of STRIKES while mom was still a member of the Culinary Union and I don't remember any of them fondly.
I was caught remembering this because of this from KLAS-8 HD:
More than 8,000 culinary and bartender workers voted overwhelmingly to strike. Union members cast their votes today at Cashman Field.
The stage is set for a possible citywide culinary strike, something Las Vegas has not seen in nearly 25 years.
No strike date has been set.
About 10,000 union members are still without a contract at a handful of downtown and Strip casinos. Many of the union members Eyewitness News spoke with say they're willing to strike, to get a deal.
Beverly Bairos, Las Vegas Hilton cocktail server, said, "We deserve good working conditions and good paid health benefits and we deserve good wages. I don't want to work for 5.25 an hour, which is what others have to do who don't have contracts."
Mark Estrella, Fremont Hotel food server, said, "We're all for one and one for all. We have a dream in Las Vegas and we're fighting to keep it."
Representatives of the Tropicana, one of the properties still negotiating say:
"The call for a strike vote this early on in the negotiations is very disappointing.
"We have only met with the union three times and have already stated our intention to propose wage increases that are at or above the prevailing rate on the Strip."
The union says of the 8,000 votes cast, more than 99-percent voted to give the union the authority to strike at 14 Las Vegas casinos and two industrial laundries.
The following hotel/casino properties with affirmative strike vote results:
Binion's
El Cortez
Fitzgerald's
Four Queens
Fremont
Golden Gate
Golden Nugget
Jerry's Nugget
Las Vegas Club
Las Vegas Hilton
Main Street
Plaza
Tropicana
Western
Al Phillips (Laundry)
Mission Industries (Laundry)
(6 p.m.) -- Thousands of hotel/casino workers will decide Wednesday whether to call for a strike. Negotiations over new contract settlements for several hotel/casinos are at a standstill.
Contracts have already been negotiated with MGM/Mirage, Harrah's, the Sahara and other big Strip properties. However, there are 14 properties which the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 have not yet reached contract agreements.
With the exception of the Tropicana, the properties are all along Fremont Street. The union has also not reached a contract agreement with two local laundry service providers; Al Phillips and Mission Industries.
More than 10,000 casino and laundry workers are affected by the vote but all 60,000 members are eligible to vote.
The unions represent food servers, cooks, bellmen and housekeepers to name a few. Union representatives hope this strike vote will put pressure on the properties to sign new deals quickly.
Representatives from the Tropicana said the call for a strike vote this early on in negotiations is very disappointing.
Union representatives say more than 4,000 members cast their vote at the morning session at Cashmen Field. There will be another vote Wednesday night at 6 p.m.
"The cost of living has gone us so much and we need to protect our health insurance," said Mark Estrella, Fremont Hotel food server.
The union announced recently that is has a strike contingency fund of $80 million dollars, the largest they have ever had.
LasVegasLynn
Post a Comment
Ways to Commerate 9/11 in Las Vegas
While from the outside, most people would not think Las Vegas would commerate 9/11, the people of the Las Vegas Valley who actually live and work here will be commerating those tragic events six years ago.
From KLAS-8 HD:
In observance of Patriot Day and in honor of those who lost their lives on that day, Governor Jim Gibbons requested that Nevada's government buildings display the United States and Nevada state flag at half staff.
The City of Las Vegas, Clark County, Metro police and firefighters are observing the day at Fire Station 5 on Charleston and Hinson where they have a piece of steel beam from the World Trade Center on display. They have also raised a flag that was flown over "Ground Zero" after the attack. Just before 7 a.m., bells were rang remembrance of the people who lost their lives. At 7 p.m., local dignitaries will be on hand for a somber ceremony. The public is invited.
There is also a display of 3,000 flags at Palm Mortuary located at 6701 No. Jones Blvd. The public is invited to view the flags. All of the flags flown will be sold to the public with the proceeds being donated to the Las Vegas Salvation Army.
President Bush held a moment of silence beginning at 5:46 a.m. Pacific Time Tuesday for the victims of 9/11.
For many, time has helped them to heal. But some families who lost loved ones in those attacks have not gotten past the pain.
A Las Vegas high school school teacher lost her life when the plane she was in crashed into the Pentagon. Barabara Edwards was a French and German teacher at Palo Verde High School.
The Santora family lost their son; a man who they say loved to play basketball just miles away from the World Trade Center. Christopher Santora was one of the many who rushed in as a firefighter and never came out.
For the past five years his family remembered him at the 9/11 ceremony. But this year they decided to spend Tuesday morning at his old fire house before heading to Ground Zero.
Across the nation, the September 11th attacks have prompted changes in security at airports. In Las Vegas, McCarran International Airport is the fifth largest in the U.S.
In order to prevent another terror attack, the Transportation Security Administration has done a lot in six years. It has trained and deployed more than 40,000 officers for screening. More canines are sniffing out for explosives. All bags are now checked. And there are many behind-the-scenes security measures we don't even know about.
But officials at McCarran say they are constantly upgrading security for passengers.
"We want to be ahead of the problem. We don't want to be reactive, we want to be proactive and that's what we've been doing. I'm comfortable. I'd fly any of those days. I'd fly any days," said Jose Ralls, Federal Security director for McCarran.
Other changes made at McCarran since 2001 include new security lanes and the latest technology when it comes to the baggage system.
