Las Vegas Musicians, Hotels No Nearer Accord Despite Long Day of Negotiations

Despite a long day of negotiations that lasted until early Friday morning, the 3-month-old labor dispute between the Las Vegas Musicians Union and five major Las Vegas hotel-casinos appears no closer to settlement, both sides said.

Representatives of each side claimed Friday that they had made significant concessions, but the sticking point--whether hotels should be allowed to freely replace musicians with taped music in “production shows” such as the “Folies Bergere” at the Tropicana--remained no closer to resolution.

Musicians began picketing the Tropicana on June 3 and have since posted strike lines at the Caesars Palace, Las Vegas Hilton, Flamingo Hilton and Bally’s hotel-casinos.

45 Musicians Fired

The dispute has resulted in the firing of 45 musicians at the Tropicana, Bally’s and the Flamingo Hilton, forced cancellation of superstar acts who refused to cross picket lines at several hotels and displaced two major conventions.

Previous contracts between the hotels and the musicians union had included job security provisions that limited the use of taped music. But in contract negotiations this spring, hotel officials--saying that they are already losing millions of dollars on entertainment--demanded the elimination of the restrictions.

The musicians union contends that taped music will not only eliminate jobs but tarnish Las Vegas’ reputation as an entertainment capital.

The musicians have gradually expanded their picketing to the five hotels, most recently the Las Vegas Hilton on Monday.

Friday was the first day that unions representing the hotels’ maids, cooks and bartenders were technically able to join the musicians’ strike at the Tropicana. Las Vegas unions generally have 90-day no-strike clauses that keep them from immediately walking out in sympathy with another union. But after a meeting Friday afternoon, leaders of eight unions decided against it, at least for the near future.

Claude Evans, secretary-treasurer of the Nevada state AFL-CIO, said other unions will aid the musicians financially and with additional pickets.

“If they want war, they’ve got war,” Evans said of the hotels.

In contrast to the last round of contract talks between hotels and all their unions in 1984, which were marked by widespread picketing, violence and hundreds of arrests, this year’s bargaining has been largely peaceful. Most contracts, aside from the musicians’, have been signed.

Concessions Called Extensive

In two bargaining sessions Thursday morning and evening, representatives of the hotels and musicians made what they called extensive concessions. Musicians said they will no longer require “standby” pay for members replaced by taped music and said they will not oppose use of taped music in rooms where major stars perform. Hotel representatives said they would spend an amount equal to four full-time salaries on live music each year and offered retraining assistance for those musicians who were displaced.

But the musicians still insisted that the hotels rehire the 45 musicians who have been fired since they went on strike--a demand the hotels refused. And the hotels said they will not compromise on their demand that they have, as described by John Giovenco, president of Hilton Nevada Corp., “the option to use taped music in any combination.”

As far as rehiring the musicians, “we really don’t have anything for them to do,” Giovenco said.