Thursday, June 26, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Culinary Union, Tropicana reach deal on priority hiring rights for workers
By JEFF SIMPSON
GAMING WIRE
The long-simmering dispute between the Tropicana and its 1,400 Culinary Union members has been settled, hotel and union representatives announced Wednesday.
Culinary Local 226 officials and Tropicana bosses agreed to a deal that would give Culinary maids, waitresses, cooks and cocktail servers priority hiring rights if the existing hotel is demolished to make way for a new one.
Tropicana parent Aztar Corp. has said it's making preliminary plans to redevelop its Strip site, but doesn't expect to reach a final decision until early next year.
The deal came more than a year after the union reached tentative agreements on new five-year deals with the Tropicana and other Las Vegas casino operators, a deal that was never signed because the parties couldn't agree on priority hiring rights for union workers.
The new deal replaces the contract that expired June 1, 2002.
"These workers should get all the credit," Culinary Secretary-Treasurer D. Taylor said Wednesday. "This is a first, and it means a lot. These are long-term workers who'll get first shot at employment at a new resort."
Taylor contrasted the Tropicana outlook with workers at the now-imploded Sands and Aladdin resorts who weren't given priority hiring rights at their successor properties, The Venetian and the Aladdin, respectively.
The union also benefits, because Tropicana promised to recognize the Culinary as well, Taylor said.
"This agreement is good for the workers and good for their union," Taylor said.
Early this year he said the issue was important enough to Tropicana's work force to prompt the union to take economic action, to include leafleting, picketing, boycotts and strikes.
Tropicana executives didn't return Wednesday phone messages.
In its statement, the Tropicana noted that, if it develops a new property, it would have the right to include food and beverage outlets operated by third parties with their own employees.
