Friday, Jan. 30, 1998 | 9:41 a.m.
A congressman from Atlanta has a message for the Elardi family, owners of the Frontier Hotel, where workers have been on strike for three years.
"The whole world is watching," Rep. John Lewis, D-Atlanta, said Wednesday. "We want this strike settled."
Only about 100 protesters heard Lewis' brief afternoon speech, but many more demonstrators were expected Wednesday evening, as members of United Steel Workers of America were expected to join the protest.
Lewis, who was ranked by "Time Magazine" as one of the heroes of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, said, "I represent Atlanta, but I wasn't born in a big city. I grew up on a farm in rural Alabama, 50 miles from Montgomery, and I know what it's like to work sun-up to sun-down."
During the movement, Lewis organized the first lunch counter sit-in and was one of the Freedom Riders who traveled on buses through the South to promote desegregation and civil rights.
During the civil rights movement, Lewis was arrested and jailed more than 40 times.
The Atlanta Democrat said his thoughts, and the thoughts of many others, are with the protesters as they continue to walk the sidewalk in the hot sun in front of the Strip casino.
"The time is past for the employer to mistreat the workers," Lewis said. "The time is here to do what's right."
After Lewis spoke, Hattie Canty, president of Culinary Union Local 226, said "We will never stop until justice is here. We're not asking for welfare, just our fair share."
Earlier, as she walked the picket line, Canty said the protesters would continue until the Elardi family decides to sell the hotel.
"We plan to be out there one day longer than she's in there," said Canty, referring to owner Margaret Elardi.
Frontier General Manager Tom Elardi did not respond to requests for an interview Wednesday.
The strike began Sept. 21, 1991, when 550 members of the Culinary and other other unions joined the picket line.
Since then, negotiations toward a settlement have stalled several times.
Most recently, management refused to allow more than 100 strikers to return to work, claiming the employees misbehaved on the picket line.
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