Coveting Culinary’s endorsement

Watching thousands of Culinary union workers pile into the Cashman Center last week, you could easily see how the power of the local's endorsement could work for a Democratic presidential candidate.

The buses arrived like clockwork, dumping about a dozen card-carrying union dealers, bartenders, housekeepers and waitresses for a strike vote. Traffic cops worked Las Vegas Boulevard and Washington Avenue as local security manned the parking lots. Two shifts, 8,000 workers and 99 percent support for the union leadership to authorize a strike against properties that don't settle a new labor contract.

Imagine that kind of power working for the union's endorsed candidate in the weeks leading up to Nevada's Jan. 19 presidential caucuses.

It's the stuff that fills Sen. Barack Obama's pillow at night, keeps the lightly staffed John Edwards in the race here and inspires Sen. Hillary Clinton as she runs down her ferocious campaign checklist.

Despite polls showing Clinton with a demonstrative lead in Nevada, there apparently is still some drama left in the state's Democratic caucus, because a Culinary endorsement could either be the tipping point or the great equalizer.

Pilar Weiss, the union's political director, said Culinary should be making its endorsement public by November. The local hopes to work with its international organization, UNITE HERE, and deliver a one-two endorsement on the same day.

Weiss wouldn't even rank candidates among a top two or three, or even divide the candidates into tiers. All of the Democratic candidates (with the exception of former Sen. Mike Gravel) have campaigned for the Culinary's endorsement.

Obama has made six visits this year, narrowly besting Clinton in the battle of the biggies. But some of the single-digit variety candidates have also made big impressions. Sen. Joe Biden has worked the Culinary in both ends of the state, and Sen. Chris Dodd's recent endorsement from the firefighters' union hasn't gone unnoticed.

Weiss said the union has yet to make a decision and is watching closely to see how candidates deal with the ongoing contract talks. Still, a candidate's record on labor is also being considered.

The closest tipping of a hat Weiss gave was when she asked when the Review-Journal would next poll voters about the caucus.

"We'd like to see some movement," Weiss said.

Got that, everyone not named Clinton?

Down in rank-and-file land, Anna Sotelo promises to work for whomever her leadership endorses.

But the Tropicana coffee shop waitress beamed when she spoke of a recent lunch meeting she had with Obama. After 21 years at the Garden Café, "Tropicana Anna" has seen a lot. She's never had a presidential candidate write her a letter promising to walk a picket line with her.

"I was showing everybody at work the letter," Sotelo said.

Although she said she hasn't made up her mind about a candidate, anyone who's willing to walk with her will get her shoe leather in return.

"I would walk door to door," Sotelo said. "Whatever it takes."

Charlene Ellis, a veteran casino porter who's been at the Las Vegas Hilton for the past four years, also lunched with Obama earlier this month.

"He was very down to Earth and answered all our questions," Ellis said. "It's very exciting to think he would take time like that."

There's still a lot of that "lucky, little us" mentality among average workers. A little higher up, there's been a quick study in all things caucus-like and a yearning for more retail politicking here -- a barbecue or a big breakfast with heaping plates of huevos rancheros.

I spoke with about a dozen Culinary workers as they arrived for the strike vote last week. Every one of them has had some interaction with a presidential candidate. Even those who have missed the bigger speeches or the rally have gotten a look here or there.

Adelaid Nelson, a cashier at the Western, saw Edwards speak to workers before a negotiating session at Fitzgeralds.

"We have to tell our members this can help us," Nelson said.

Nelson said the candidates' visits and promises draw media attention, which helps pressure the gaming companies that haven't settled on a new contract with the union. For her, Edwards' speech was as much potential job security as moral support, given her hotel's new ownership.

Even though the candidates have pledged to picket, Nelson still can't imagine an Obama or Clinton or Edwards way down on East Fremont.

Indeed, the thought of any of the major candidates on a picket line outside Bellagio has a bit more panache. Now that Harrah's and MGM Mirage have reached agreements with the Culinary, the promise carries even more weight.

Manny Barajas, a shop steward at Excaliber who has input in the endorsement process, has seen all the candidates.

The most impressive?

"That they're all willing to walk with us," Barajas said.

Because the Culinary has announced it has an $80 million strike fund, many in the union believe the outstanding contracts will soon be settled.

Barajas won't even entertain endorsement talk until that happens.

"This first, then we move full on into that," he said.

If there is no deal reached for some of the remaining 10,000 workers without a contract, Weiss said the union is still committed to an endorsement and campaigning for its candidate.

"We can do two things at once," Weiss said.

Erin Neff's column runs Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. She can be reached at (702) 387-2906, or by e-mail at eneff@reviewjournal.com.