Former housekeeper, refugee chosen Culinary union chief

Culinary Workers Local 226 promoted Geoconda ArguelloKline, a former housekeeper and Nicaraguan refugee, to become the organization’s secretary-treasurer.

The appointment was announced Tuesday.

Arguello-Kline becomes the first female and first Hispanic to lead the 60,000-member union that represents hotel and restaurant workers in Las Vegas.

In the organization’s hierarchy, secretary-treasurer is the union’s highest elected position. Arguello-Kline had held the Culinary’s No. 2 leadership role as president.

She replaces D. Taylor, who last month was elected president of UNITE HERE, the Culinary’s parent international organization.

Taylor had served as the Culinary’s secretary-treasurer since 2002. The late Jim Arnold served as secretary-treasurer from 1987 to 2002.

Born in Managua, Nicaragua, Arguello-Kline fled the country as a political refugee in 1979. She arrived in Miami with her two children and worked a series of service jobs including housekeeping and truck driving.

She moved to Las Vegas in 1983 and worked at Fitzgeralds as a guest room attendant.

She became part of the Culinary staff in 1990 as union organizer. She worked the picket line of the more-than-six-yearlong strike against the Frontier, which in ended in 1998.

component. Once Spago arrived, other eateries owned and operated by celebrity chefs flourished.

Today, many restaurant magazines rank Las Vegas as one of the top cities in the U.S. for restaurant offerings.

Puck was placed in the Gaming Hall of Fame in 2005 by the American Gaming Association because of the changes he brought to dining in casinos. He was the first celebrity chef honored by the organization.

“We showed the gaming industry that the restaurant can be profitable,” Puck said.

To celebrate the 20-year milestone, Spago is offering a special anniversary menu until Friday that includes selected dishes from the restaurant’s opening day at 1992 prices. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman presented Puck with a key to the city of Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Puck, who recently opened Wolfgang Puck Steak at the MGM Grand Detroit, his 23rd fine dining restaurant, has grown with the casino industry.

In addition to Spago, he operates these restaurants in Las Vegas: CUT Las Vegas at the Palazzo, Postrio at The Venetian, Trattoria del Lupo at Mandalay Bay, Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina at Crystals, and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at the MGM Grand.

In addition, Puck operates two restaurants that serve pool areas at The Venetian and Palazzo.

Puck’s company, The Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, leases space in the hotel-casinos and operates the restaurants.

David Robins, managing partner of the dining group who also oversees the companies, was Puck’s original executive chef at Spago. He thought he’d spend a year or two in Las Vegas and then return home to San Francisco. Today, he oversees about 700 employees.

“It’s amazing to realize that all of our restaurants are within five miles of each other,” Robins said.

The restaurant business can be tricky, Puck said. One concept, Chinois, which has been popular in Santa Monica, Calif., since 1983, failed when it was placed in an expansion phase of the Forum Shops. Meanwhile, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill is the most profitable of his Las Vegas locations.

“I know there is more that we can do,” Puck said. “I’m looking to celebrate another 20 years. Maybe my kids will be running this place.”