Comments (12) | Add a comment
LV strikes development deal with Culinary union
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Apr. 10, 2012 | 10:09 a.m.
There's a classic scene in "The Empire Strikes Back" in which Lando Calrissian, who is hosting some of the rebel protagonists at his mining colony, says: "I've just made a deal that'll keep the Empire out of here forever." Then a door opens to reveal that our heroes are about to have a forced lunch with Darth Vader.
The feud between the city of Las Vegas and Culinary Local 226 never reached such intergalactic proportions, and one could debate which side represents the Empire and who gets to be called Lord Vader. But both parties have agreed to a deal that's supposed to keep them from tangling with each other like a couple of bounty hunters fighting over Han Solo's body.
The City Council approved the deal, already signed by Culinary head D. Taylor, on a 4-2 vote Wednesday. Council members Lois Tarkanian and Stavros Anthony opposed it, and Councilman Steve Ross abstained because of a conflict with his role as secretary-treasurer of the Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council.
The "memorandum of understanding" states that the Culinary union won't sue or pursue ballot measures blocking projects in Las Vegas' redevelopment area. The union did both earlier this year to challenge the proposed new city hall project, which was also approved Wednesday.
The union also agreed to remain neutral on state legislative matters involving redevelopment.
In return, the city is to create a labor peace ordinance. It would mandate that large hospitality projects in which the city is involved -- by providing incentives, for example, or using city-owned land -- have contracts with the appropriate union. The city is also going to pay $25,000 for a living wage study.
The agreement will be in place for five years and can be extended for up to four additional years.
It gives the union power if planned casino projects are launched downtown, and it saves the city the headache of dealing with challenges when trying to organize complicated projects that usually involve private developers and outside capital. The ballot measures the union proposed probably would've stopped the city from pursuing new projects at all, city officials said, and also could have derailed deals already in place.
Anthony said the city was treading where it shouldn't. "I don't think the city has any business getting involved in discussions between developers and unions on whether they'll unionize or not," he said. "Who else is going to want an MOU with us?"
Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce president Steve Hill said the chamber supported the new city hall project as a job creation engine that will boost the chances of other projects happening, including the planned hotel-casinos. But the chamber is wary of the memorandum the city signed.
"We think there's some cause of concern there," he said, because the additional requirements might scare off operators who otherwise would be interested in opening downtown.
Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.
Comments
Terms & Conditions
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The Review-Journal does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please use the Report Abuse button.
Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 24 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Unions are the new mafia. Using threats and intimidation to get what they want. And since all politicians are hypocrites at some point in their careers, the city council caved to their union masters and signed the MOU. All this after Goodman called culinary "evil".
Here is what I do not understand... What does the Culinary Union have to do with BUILDING a new city hall???? Why didn't the teamsters, the electrical union, the pipefitters, the plumbers unions, etc gang up on culinary and tell it to get back to the kitchens and bed changing it is supposed to be in charge of? What would Culinary say if the plumbers union jumped into the mix and tried to wedge out jobs for maids and cooks?????
So the union pretty much extorted the City out of $25K and told them to keep their mouth shut when it comes to anything involving the union.
I expect corrupt behavior from a union shuttling dues from illegals to the Democrats. I would have thought at some point the City would say enough is enough but they have shown that they are spineless saps who will let the unions run over them.
I thought the protection racket was illeagal?
Who is running this city ???
Elected officials or runaway unions that are full of illegals???
It's past time for "TAXPAYING VOTERS" to cleanse the corruption in Nevada.
time to bust the culinary workers union. too big, powerful and corrupt.
Since when did the culinary union start running the City of Las Vegas? Any voter, within the cities juristiction, that votes for any of the existing city council members again, for any elected position, should have their right to vote taken away for life as it is obvious they (the voters) know nothing as shown by the election of the idiots now on the commission. As for the culinary, they need to have their entire membership checked for illegals and subsequently fined, on this basis, enough money to pay for this new city hall.
Way to go Ross. Two votes and two abstentions due to your never-ending conflicts of interests.
What an abomination...