How Bernie Sanders’ Campaign ‘Disappointed And Offended’ Nevada’s Most Powerful Union

[ProudToBeLiberal]

Reports surfaced Thursday alleging that campaign employees of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) had posed as hotel workers on the Las Vegas Strip in order to preach to members of the Culinary Union — one of the biggest and most politically influential unions in the key early caucus state.

The Culinary Union confirmed the reports, telling ThinkProgress in a statement that the campaign’s actions left them “disappointed and offended.”

“It’s completely inappropriate for any campaign to attempt to mislead Culinary Union members, especially at their place of work,” said the union’s Secretary-Treasurer Geoconda Arguello-Kline. “We strongly condemn anyone falsifying their affiliation with the Culinary Union in order to gain access to properties and we will cooperate with casinos and hotels so that this matter is fully resolved.”

Sanders campaign workers visited four unionized hotels, The Rio, Paris, The Mirage and Planet Hollywood, and by wearing the union’s iconic yellow button, accessed employee dining rooms to speak with and give Sanders literature to workers.

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/01/28/3743961/sanders-nevada-union/

[bigdarryl]

1. OH BOY!!!!

[litlbilly]

2. another snowball made out of feathers. Keep trying:)

[bigdarryl]

4. Well the union out in Nevada don't think it's feathers

If this was Clinton you would be calling for her to be put in jail

[cherokeeprogressive]

30. Oh come on.

[cali]

3. Think Progrss is an arm of the Clinton Campaign

And I need evidence before I buy this. Bernie has.represented me for.decades. this just isn't the type of thing he's ever done.

[hrmjustin]

5. .

https://www.ralstonreports.com/blog/sanders-workers-are-masquerading-culinary-members-campaign-inside-hotels

[Skwmom]

15. Oh, that really supports the validity of the claim. (Sarcasm intended).

[hrmjustin]

17. I'm just giving links. I am not making the claim.

[closeupready]

7. +1.

[litlbilly]

9. From now on, 98% of what they throw against the wall will be total bullshit. It means they are

pumping out bricks by the truckload from their rear ends

[ProudToBeLiberal]

10. https://www.ralstonreports.com/blog/sanders-workers-are-masquerading-culinary-members-campaign-insid

https://www.ralstonreports.com/blog/sanders-workers-are-masquerading-culinary-members-campaign-inside-hotels

[KamaAina]

18. What is this Ralston Reports?

It looks like Jon Ralston's blog, whoever that is.

[hrmjustin]

20. He is considered one of the top Nevada political reporters.

If you google him you might recognize him.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

21. He's the leading political journalist in Nevada. nt

[KamaAina]

24. He seems to be pretty firmly in the Clinton camp.

https://www.ralstonreports.com/search/site/Clinton

That said, Clinton will dominate on Caucus day not withstanding sentimental favorite Bernie ... advantage.---- The Clinton machine is alive, organized, and ready. If you are a D, you have gotten the calls.

(the whole piece is behind a freakin' paywall! )

[ProudToBeLiberal]

25. It's being reported on CNN, too

Major Nevada union accuses Sanders aides of posing as union members

Nevada's powerful Culinary Union on Thursday accused Bernie Sanders' campaign staffers of posing as union workers in an attempt to gain access to their members, a charge the Sanders campaign denies.

Union representatives said Thursday that multiple members of their union have reported Sanders' campaign staffers of "attempting and gaining access to employee dining rooms at Las Vegas Strip properties."

"We are disappointed and offended," said Geoconda Arguello-Kline, the union's secretary-treasurer. "It's completely inappropriate for any campaign to attempt to mislead Culinary Union members, especially at their place of work."

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/28/politics/bernie-sanders-union-nevada-culinary-union/index.html

[Agnosticsherbet]

6. So Sanders employees, lied to members of the Culinary Union, by impesonating a union member...

Sanders should fire them.

[Skwmom]

12. Names? n/t

[Agnosticsherbet]

19. Two articles in this tread provide evidence.

It doesn't mention names.

I am sure Sanders could find out if he cares.

[hrmjustin]

8. Creepy.

[Skwmom]

11. No names. Now isn't that a surprise - not! n/t

[winter is coming]

22. No names, and it's not explicitly stated that these alleged Bernie supporters

aren't union members. It's implied, but there's no explanation as to why someone might think that. So this could be someone getting huffy that local union members went to talk to other casino workers while wearing buttons that are legitimately theirs. The local might see that as implying an endorsement the local hasn't made, but that's a far cry from impersonating a union member.

[Gamecock Lefty]

13. This Just Can't Be True!

I mean, Bernie and his supporters are just so, you know, perfect.

[elleng]

14. O'Malley works on making his name known in Nevada.

http://www.culinaryunion226.org/news/clips/omalley-works-on-making-his-name-known-in-nevada

Message to Culinary Workers Union 226

https://www.facebook.com/MartinOMalley/videos/10156078179550393/

[Jarqui]

16. Hillary & her supporters blocked the largely Latino workers in this union from voting

in 2008 because their union endorsed Obama and would not allow the polls near the casinos to be used.

[KingFlorez]

23. Cheap, lowdown, tacky, pathetic

There is a laundry list of things that this is, but I won't go on all day. This is certainly not the type of thing that gains votes.

[Motown_Johnny]

26. Wearing the button = falsifying their affiliation ?????

So these are "members only" buttons?


You can't just wear one to show support for the union?



I am thinking these anonymous reports are bull shit.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

28. It's coming from the Culinary Union themselves.

"It's inappropriate for any campaign to attempt to mislead Culinary Union members, especially at their place of work," said Yvanna Cancela, Local 226's political director, who confirmed multiple reports at hotels.

Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton, a longtime Culinary employee who endorsed Clinton on Thursday, said, "The employee dining hall is kind of our place. For people to abuse that is just wrong. I'm really disappointed."

Carlton added that anyone accessing the employee areas "is a security issue as well. I would be concerned."

"We are disappointed and offended," said Geoconda Arguello-Kline, the union's secretary-treasurer. "It's completely inappropriate for any campaign to attempt to mislead Culinary Union members, especially at their place of work."

These are not anonymous. These reports are coming directly from the union.

[Motown_Johnny]

35. So this is from someone who has endorsed Clinton plus a political director and

one other leader in the union?


This is starting to really look like bull shit.


How about some reports form rank and file at the meeting?

[Fawke Em]

32. No, they're not "members only" buttons.

Want one?

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Culinary-Bartenders-Union-Solidarity-1-75-Pinback-Button-Food-Service-Nevada-Ad-/121868031111?hash=item1c5fe69487

[riversedge]

27. Didn't the Sander fans learn what happened to the fake PP intruders?? Whow.

[FSogol]

29. My job takes me into some transportation and postal facilities where they have union and non-union

workers maintaining equipment. They have separate locker rooms, break rooms, and lunch rooms. You do not go in a union room unless you are member. I have to get an escort at some facilities to access spaces.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

31. Yep, Union members take it very seriously of protecting their private space. nt

[Nanjeanne]

33. Well it's certainly something that should really be looked into by the Sanders campaign

As a supporter of Sanders - I take this all with a grain of salt - but I'd like to know who these Sanders campaign employees are. How do I know they weren't some over-zealous volunteers? How do I know they were Trump supporters pretending to be Sanders campaign employees. Surely there are some facts somewhere. Right now all I'm seeing is some rumor that campaign employees of Sanders did this. I don't doubt someone may have done something. I don't have any way of knowing they are Sanders campaign employees. So until that fact comes available - I'll pass on making judgments.

[valerief]

34. From Huffpo

The Sanders campaign told CNN that staffers "did wear Culinary buttons to try to talk to workers, but did not misrepresent who they were." That may well be true, but from the vantage point of the union that may not matter.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-union-workers_us_56aa7ed6e4b05e4e3703b874

[workinclasszero]

36. But...but...

Bernie is a working class hero!?

This looks real bad for Bernie

[livetohike]

37. Has he ever been a union member? If so, he would know what an idiotic move this was. n/t

[workinclasszero]

39. Yeah...I doubt it

But I'm no Bernie Sanders expert by any means lol

[onenote]

38. Union buttons are serious business

It is not uncommon for Collective Bargaining agreements to expressly include provisions guaranteeing a worker's right to wear a union button while at work.