Strip resorts accommodate union workers who wanted to participate in caucus

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Yasmina Chavez

Members of the Culinary Union arrive to check-in during the Democratic caucus at the Bellagio on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020.

Sat, Feb 22, 2020 (9:03 p.m.)

The 123 Democrats caucusing inside the Bellagio ballroom Saturday included uniformed Las Vegas Strip housekeepers, a florist, a front desk clerk, a VIP host and room service attendant — all on shift.

Nevada 2020 Caucus

Carol Tipton, center, precinct captain for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and supporters make their vote during caucus day at Coronado High School in Henderson, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. Launch slideshow »

It’s these types of employees — those who don’t work the traditional Monday-to-Friday shift — who are the backbone of the city’s tourism industry. To include them in the election process, the Culinary Union and the Nevada Democratic Party hosted seven caucus sites at Strip resorts, allowing on-shift employees of all industries within a 2.5-mile radius to participate. Bellagio employees were provided boxed lunches and housekeepers weren’t penalized for not finishing work in their rooms.

The employees mostly broke into two large camps, and hoisting campaign signs, they chanted, “Bernie! Bernie!” and “Biden, Biden!”

Like other sites across the state, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former Vice President Joe Biden received the most support, as Sanders won 76 votes and Biden took 45. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., received six votes and Tom Steyer got three. Upon realignment, Biden gained six votes to Sanders’ one.

Anne Olah, 53, who works at the Bellagio’s floral department, said she supported Warren because “she has a pedigree that’s going to help the country.”

Olah, a member of the Teamsters Union who said she cares most about health care, is skeptical about Sanders’ signature health care proposal, “Medicare for All.” When Steyer — her second choice — wasn’t viable after realignment, she walked over to Biden’s group, still holding her Warren sign.

“I think people who are looking at (Sanders) with rose-colored glasses thinking, ‘We’re going to have health care on the first Monday he’s in office,’ they don’t realize what’s the process,” she said.

Still, she said she would vote for the senator if he became the Democratic nominee to face President Donald Trump in November’s general election. “I’m so tired of this rich guy in the White House flying to Mar-a-Lago every weekend and spending all this money, and I drive by people sleeping on the sidewalk every day,” she said.

Raul Garcia, 32, has been a Sanders supporter since 2016, but this was his first caucus because the process used to intimidate him. The Palms front desk attendant said his main concern is health care for his family.

Trump’s immigration policy, he said, is also detrimental. Having Mexican roots, he said, the policy is “unacceptable to me.”

Garcia said he would support any Democrat in the general election except former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. “He just sounds like a version of Donald Trump to the left.”

Culinary Union member Monica Smith said she supported Sanders because she wants all Americans to enjoy the same type of health benefits she’s long had with the union.

“He’s trying to do right by all Americans,” Smith said.

Smith loathes Trump enough that she joked that she would “jump in the bandwagon if Kermit the Frog ran and if he could beat him.”

Smith supported Hillary Clinton in 2008 when her union endorsed Barack Obama. The union did not endorse a candidate this year, although Democratic candidates made multiple visits to the union hall in an attempt to sway voters.

Smith said the union is “going to do what’s right for the country” and back the Democratic nominee this year.

Geoconda Argüello-Kline, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Workers Union 226, said last week that it was the “best decision” to not endorse, and to allow its 60,000 members to make their own choice.

“We agree and disagree like brothers and sisters. That’s what democracy is all about, too ... it’s part of life,” she said.

Argüello-Kline said the union — a behemoth in Nevada politics that represents workers from 180 countries who speak 40 languages — was only focused on turning out voters this caucus season. The ultimate goal is to defeat Trump in November, she added.

And the union’s effort will only intensify after the caucus.

“Whatever candidate is going to be nominated, we’re going to be knocking doors, have an army over here, talking to people, (phone) calls, sending texts, passing leaflets,” she said.

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