Former hotel industry executive Bandini dies at 68

Before the start of the Pro Bowlers Association tournament at the Showboat hotel-casino in 1984, Art Bandini, the resort's vice president of labor relations, found himself in a tough spot.

Five mechanics had walked out in a labor dispute, and 500 members of the powerful Culinary Union had joined them in support. On top of that, ABC television camera crews, who were union members, could not cross the picket line to broadcast the event.

Under the cover of darkness Bandini sneaked the entire TV crew in, and they stayed inside the hotel until the event concluded.

"I watched from the hotel roof at 2 a.m. and was amazed as he was able to get them in through a back gate where there were no pickets set up," said longtime Las Vegas labor attorney Greg Smith, then the in-house counsel for the Nevada Resort Association.

"I also was impressed that Art was able to hire 300 replacement workers so quickly to keep the resort in operation that weekend."

Arthur J. Bandini, who headed up a committee to prevent tragedies at Cape Kennedy in the wake of the Jan. 27, 1967, Apollo 1 launch pad disaster that killed three astronauts, died Wednesday of heart failure at Desert Springs Hospital. He was 68.

Services were private for the Las Vegas resident of 30 years, who also worked for EG&G and the Flamingo Hilton and had the respect of not only management but also his labor adversaries.

"Art was a tough negotiator," said D. Taylor, staff director of Culinary Local 226, the state's largest union. "He fought very hard for the company's position. I did not agree with him on a lot of issues, but he was straight -- never dishonest."

Taylor said he was shocked to hear that Bandini had died, noting that he talked with him days earlier about an insurance issue.

The two had squared off at the bargaining table in the early 1990s over benefits for Flamingo laundry workers, which ended in a compromise that benefited both sides.

Smith, who won for the Showboat an arbitrator's judgment of $380,000 in damages from the Culinary Union for the 1984 sympathy strike, agreed that Bandini fought for fairness in labor negotiations.

"Art was a practical man," Smith said. "There were times we would meet with union officials who made it clear that we were in the wrong and Art would correct the problems immediately. When he walked through the casino where he worked, employees would greet him and talk with him. He was well liked."

Bandini was highly respected in his profession before he came to Las Vegas in 1969.

Following the NASA disaster that took the lives of Gus Grissom, the second American in space, and fellow Apollo 1 astronauts Ed White and Roger Chaffee, Bandini was assigned the task of looking into work conditions at Cape Kennedy.

"He was put in charge of the Apollo Tie Program, which brought all sections of the program together to find ways to prevent future tragedies," said Velma Westendarp, Bandini's mother-in-law. "He was very proud of the work he did with that program."

Born Dec. 10, 1930, in Belle Vernon, Pa., just outside Pittsburgh, Arthur Joseph Bandini was one of three children of glass factory worker Arthur Alfred Bandini and the former Kathleen Oliveto.

After graduating from Belle Vernon High School, Bandini entered the Air Force. A tail gunner, his plane was shot down in Korea, but he escaped uninjured and avoided capture.

He returned to Pennsylvania after the war, got his degree in labor relations at Penn State University and was hired by Boeing Aircraft in Seattle.

In 1960 Bandini married Gail Westendarp. A local photographer, Gail Bandini's works are featured in books, including "Destination Las Vegas -- The Story Behind the Scenery" published by K.C. Publications in 1995.

After his stint in Florida, Bandini came to Las Vegas and worked in labor relations for Nevada Test Site contractor EG&G from 1969 to 1974. He was at the Showboat from 1974 to 1986. In March 1986 Bandini was appointed personnel director for the Flamingo. He later was promoted to director of human resources and vice president of labor relations.

Although Bandini retired from labor management in 1992, he was constantly contacted by casinos throughout Southern Nevada seeking his advice on labor issues.

In addition to his wife, Bandini is survived by a son, Brett Bandini of Las Vegas; a daughter, Tina Bandini of Las Vegas; two sisters, Dolores Stolinski of Erie, Pa., and Margie Rutan of La Puente, Calif.; and three grandchildren.

Nevada Funeral Service handled the arrangements.

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