On this day in Labor History the year was 1991.
That was the day that members of Culinary Workers Union Local 226 went on strike against the Frontier Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
What they did not know was that the strike would last for more than six years—becoming one of the longest work actions in U.S. labor history.
The Frontier was the second casino to open on the Vegas Strip in 1942.
At the time of the strike the Elardi family owned the historic casino.
The Elardi’s were vehemently anti-union.
They renovated the old facility and then reopened refusing to sign a contract to pay its workers the same rate provided at most other Vegas casinos.
Claiming that the Frontier was too small to match the wages of the larger outfits, management refused to budge from their position.
In response, Local 226 members mobilized.
The year before Hattie Canty had been elected President of the local.
She was a black mother of ten children and a widow.
She had worked as a hotel maid.
Her leadership brought new determination to the Culinary Union.
Local 226 set up 24-hour picket lines outside the Frontier.
The strike was joined by Bartenders Local 165, Teamsters Local 995, Operating Engineers local 501 and Carpenters Local 1780.
The strike became an important moment in Vegas labor history—as other casino owners looked on, watching the labor battle unfold.
The unions stood strong.
The picketers demand that the owners should “Sell, Shut Down, or Sign.”
In the end, the Elardis decide to sell.
The new ownership signed a union contract and rehired 280 striking workers.
Triumphant union members cut a red ribbon at the hotel to mark their victory.
August 14 - A Little Security for Workers
August 13 - Miners Rebel Against Convict Labor System
August 12 - High Stakes in Cannery Organizing
August 11 - The ILWU is Founded
August 10 - Illinois Brotherhoods Join the ‘22 Shopmen Strike
August 9 - Titan II Fire Kills 53
August 8 - Twin Cities Trades Elect First Black President
August 7 - Love Canal
August 6 - Catastrophic Fire at Chevron
August 5 - Funeral March for Frank Little
August 4 - The Night the Lights Went Out on Broadway
August 3 - PATCO Members on Strike
August 2 - Teamsters 574 Defy Martial Law
August 1 - Teamsters 574 Fight for Their Future
July 31 - The Battle of East 140th Street
July 30 - The Mechanics Institute Massacre
July 29 - Sanitation Workers Strike Charlotte
July 28 - The Silent Parade
July 27 - Ginger Goodwin Murdered
July 26 - Battle of the Halsted Street Viaduct
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