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Thousands Fill Vegas Downtown in Union Rally

LAS VEGAS -- An estimated 12,000 union members and their families took to the streets of downtown Las Vegas twice Friday to send a clear message to casino owners.

"They say 'Take away,' we say 'No way!,' " chanted the union members as they marched in columns stretching more than six city blocks for the morning march and eight blocks for the afternoon version.

After winding their way past Jackie Gaughan's Western toward rallies at the head of Fremont Street, in the shadow of the Plaza, Culinary Secretary D. Taylor challenged the maids, food-service workers and bartenders massed by the union's loudspeaker trucks.

"Are you ready to fight?" Taylor yelled to the estimated 7,000 people crowding the west end of Fremont Street.

"Yes," the crowd roared back.

"Tonight we show who owns Fremont Street," Taylor bellowed. "It is us!"

A festive rather than an angry crowd, the workers and their families danced as the loudspeakers blared '70s-era disco hits "She Works Hard for the Money," and "We are Family."

But Taylor promised a fight if downtown casino workers don't get new contracts by the union's July 1 strike deadline.

The union plans to picket all properties that haven't signed new deals by 3 p.m. on June 29, 33 hours before the strike deadline.

"We want to give them a taste of what a strike will be like," Culinary Political Director Glen Arnodo explained.

Metropolitan Police Lt. Pat Charoen confirmed Friday evening that there were no arrests and no incidents at either march.

As the casino executives gathered in their properties' doorways or under the Fremont Street Experience canopy to watch Friday's dual marches, union members marched by with their banners chanting: "We want a contract" and "Union, Yes."

And if they don't get a new five-year deal before the July 1 deadline, the workers' elected officials promise to strike the 10 downtown, two near-downtown and two Strip properties that have yet to agree to new pacts.

One Friday march began at 11 a.m., the second started at 5:30 p.m., with the twin rallies intended to allow shift workers to participate.

Tourists Ron and Nancy Aldag of Apple Valley, Calif., were on hand outside the Golden Gate watching and listening to the marchers during the union's Friday evening rally.

"It's overwhelming," Ron Aldag said, and his wife nodded in agreement.

The couple visit Las Vegas about every six weeks, generally staying at the Plaza or the Four Queens.

They said they'd wait to see what a strike was like before returning to Las Vegas.

"We'd want to see how crazy it gets before we'd come back," Aldag said.

Nancy Aldag said they could decide to visit and stay with relatives instead of downtown.

New deals with Stardust and Sahara on the Strip are expected to be inked next week, and Boyd Gaming Corp. executives hope to reach a deal Sunday with Main Street Station and Fremont workers.

Fitzgeralds bosses also expect a deal before the union-imposed July 1 deadline.

Union officials and at least some downtown executives have said they hope that a possible Boyd deal could serve as a model contract for stalled negotiations with representatives of Binion's Horseshoe, Four Queens, Western, El Cortez, Las Vegas Club, Plaza, Jerry's Nugget, Golden Gate and Castaways

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