Culinary complains about Sanders campaign tactics

Campaign staffers for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders have gained access to employee dining areas on Strip properties by passing themselves off as union members and using the Culinary union's button, according to the union.

Culinary Union Local 226, which represents more than 57,000 workers in Nevada resorts, said Thursday it was "disappointed and offended."

"It's completely inappropriate for any campaign to attempt to mislead Culinary Union members, especially at their place of work," said Geoconda Arguello-Kline, the union's secretary-treasurer, in a statement.

"The Culinary Union button that hundreds of thousands of union members have proudly worn to work every day represents 80 years of struggle and fighting for justice. We strongly condemn anyone falsifying their affiliation with the Culinary Union in order to gain access to properties and we will cooperate with casinos and hotels so that this matter is fully resolved."

By the end of the day, both the union and the campaign said the matter is resolved.

After the initial statement, culinary union spokeswoman Bethany Khan texted a Review-Journal reporter: "We've talked with the campaign and the situation is resolved."

Khan declined to elaborate on how it was resolved.

In a statement, Sanders Campaign Manager Jeff Weaver said staff have been told it's inappropriate to contact culinary members in their dining spaces.

"It appears that some of our organizers were reaching out to Local 226 members in their dining spaces," Weaver said. "We have reminded our staff that that is not appropriate and that they should not do it again. In addition, I have spoken with the political director of the Culinary Union to express the campaign’s regret at this having occurred and our support of the union’s fight for workers’ rights. The political director was extremely gracious and we are glad to have this resolved."

The conflict was a rare clash between a prominent Democrat and the union, whose endorsement is widely sought by candidates and almost always handed to a Democrat.

It came came less than a month before the Feb. 20 caucuses, when Democratic Party voters in Nevada will give their preference for who should get their party's nomination. Nevada is the third state in the nomination process, following Iowa and New Hampshire.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is also seeking the Democratic nod, as is former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.

The union hasn't endorsed any candidates and has said it's focusing on voter registration efforts and helping members gain citizenship in the months ahead.

That's a shift from its approach in 2008, when the union endorsed then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama when he ran for a first term. The endorsement gave a boost to Obama's campaign before the caucuses as he battled Clinton for the nomination and won the presidency.

Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904. Find him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1