Las Vegas council mulls ways to use voice to speak for workers

National Catholic Reporter, June 4, 1999 by Arthur Jones

It was supposed to be a working lunch, but the pizza on the side counter had gone cold. The dozen people around the table were too intent on what they were hearing to worry about food.

Three union representatives were making a presentation for the group's support in attempts to unionize two local hospitals. The group, the Las Vegas Interfaith Council for Worker Justice, does not recommend to local casinos or hospitals or other employers that their employees unionize.

If the committee involves itself, it's to ensure that there's a level playing field, that the workers' right to unionize is respected. That's a fine distinction. But the pastors, rabbis and priests around the table understand fine distinctions.

In many ways, Las Vegas, unlikely as it may seem, exemplifies the new organizing efforts being undertaken by labor activists. It has replaced the heavy industry cities of the Northeast and Upper Midwest as fertile territory for organizing. Here unions are training and organizing long-overlooked folks in the hotel, health care, auto rental and other service industries. The efforts in this city also exemplify the new cooperation developing in many areas of the country between labor organizers and religious leaders.

The clergy members were gathered in the conference room at Nevada Partners, a free employment and job training service. Partners director Mujahid Ramadan of the American Muslim Council is an Interfaith Council member.

At the table, Lenore Friedlaender, organizer for Service Employees International Union, Local 1107, asked the committee, "Can you communicate with top management for us?"

The local is seeking to represent two area hospitals. Friedlaender said the owner, UHS -- Universal Health Services -- the third largest U.S. for profit hospital management corporation, is campaigning against the union.

"We're asking for corporate neutrality" she said, the same neutrality granted when the workers voted to unionize at Columbia Sunrise Hospital. There, Sunrise Hospital's owner, Columbia/HCA, America's largest for-profit hospital manager, provided "employer silence, neutrality, access," she said.

Not until the SEIU staffer and her colleagues left did some committee members relax enough to saunter over for pizza and sodas.

Back at the table, they weighed the request. This kind of decision-making doesn't come easy. Some pastors and rabbis lead congregations that include both workers and managers. Some congregants don't like the involvement. One rabbi was told, "Judaism isn't unionism."

The Interfaith Council chair, Pastor Spencer Barret of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, told NCR, "The Interfaith Council is portrayed as a tool of the unions, but as long as we as a committee are doing what our consciences dictate, it doesn't matter whether we're regarded as a tool or not."

That's a second fine line, because a portion of the council's financial support comes from unions.

The council will not endorse any action without unanimity around the table. "We'd lose credibility taking on the issues as a split group," one member said.

"These are poor people," said another. "The government doesn't care much about them. They would have no voice without a faith voice. [The SEIU organizers] are asking that the employers not intimidate the workers."

After further comments, the committee agreed to contact managements at Valley and Desert Spring hospitals.

The members heard updates on previous committee involvement, such as a prayer service at the local Alamo auto rental agency. The prayer service was a component in the successful drive to organize Las Vegas Alamo. Other Alamo units nationwide are now seeking union representation.

However, "National is taking over Alamo," reported one committee member, "so if there is a problem with negotiations, we might be asked to help again."

The monthly meeting's agenda included an announcement on a forthcoming worker memorial day -- for local construction workers killed on the job. At 63,000 jobs, construction is the state's fourth largest employer after casinos (retail and government are second and third).

Gambling is Clark County's economic life-support system. There are more than 180,000-plus casino-related jobs, many of them worked by people such as the African-Americans and Anglos who attend Franciscan Fr. Michael Blackburn's 260-family downtown St. James the Apostle Church.

The issues the Interfaith Council deals with are precisely those of his parishioners, said Blackburn. They hit close to many homes, including Blackburn's.

"Many parishioners work in the casinos. My mom works in one," he said. "They recently became unionized. My mom heard what the union offered and liked what she heard. Before it became union she had very little health care. She'd really got into debt because she had a mastectomy and had to pay most of it by herself, and she's still paying it.

"St. James is used to involvement," Barrett said, "because the pastor they had in the '60s was involved in the civil rights movement. The other thing is -- parishioners who go to St. James go because they want to go. Most of them don't live in the area. They come because they like what it stands for."