Steelworkers continue Laughlin casino organizing drive

Though it was dealt a setback by a recent court decision, the United Steelworkers Union still wants to organize workers in Laughlin.

The union's first attempt at the Flamingo Hilton-Laughlin was overturned July 31, when the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., ruled the National Labor Relations Board erred in 1997 when it ordered the hotel-casino to recognize the union. That came despite a 1993 election in which employees there rejected union representation by a 495-389 vote.

As 3,000 USW delegates convene this week at the Las Vegas Convention Center, union officials say organizing the 1,000 Hilton workers in Laughlin is part of a continuing trend of diversifying its membership.

"We're still meeting with them (a workers' committee) monthly," said Terry Bonds, USW district director for a nine-state region that includes Nevada. "We told them we'd be there until they don't want us anymore."

Flamingo Hilton-Laughlin President Bill Bigelow was out of town Tuesday and could not be reached for comment. Hilton corporate spokeswoman Kathy Shepard said the hotel expects an appeal to the ruling.

"It's our position that that employees are now represented the way they want to be," Shepard said.

The NLRB ordered the hotel-casino to bargain with the union after it found management had taken several actions that affected the outcome of the elections such as improving health benefits and implementing a more responsive grievance procedure. The court, however, found the transgressions weren't egregious enough to justify ordered recognition of the union. No contract was ever negotiated.

Bonds said the USW is talking to workers at other Laughlin hotel-casinos, though he declined to identify which ones.

The jobs represented by the USW at the Flamingo Hilton-Laughlin were typically what the Culinary and Teamsters unions would represent in Las Vegas.

Teamsters Local 995 organizer Ray Isner said Tuesday that union is busy in Las Vegas and has no immediate plans in Laughlin.

"We haven't targeted anything yet, but on down the road we might," Isner said.

Laughlin is out of the jurisdiction of Culinary Local 226.

While hotel workers and Steelworkers may seem like an odd fit, USW officials say their union has diversified as the American economy has shifted from manufacturing to services.

In fact, only about 12 percent of the union's membership are actual steel workers, said USW public affairs director Gary Hubbard.

The union, much like the United Auto Workers, for example, has veered into covering other occupations such as chemical workers, retail food service employees and school system personnel.

"It's responding to changes in our economy," Hubbard said.

The union has about 700,000 members with 2,600 locals.

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