The Culinary and Bartenders Union in Las Vegas has announced the deadline for its upcoming strike, which is set to take place in February.
The strike comes following previous action taken late last year, where union members threatened to strike if wages were not increased and workplace protections were not installed. While the union was able to reach deals with operators including MGM, Caesars and Wynn, this new potential strike relates to other properties in Vegas.
This new strike, which will affect both the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas, includes 21 casino resort properties. Strip properties include Rio, Circus Circus and Trump Hotel Las Vegas, while Downtown properties include Circa, Four Queens and Golden Nugget. For many of these 21 properties, such a strike would mark a ‘historic first’ for the Union, as these properties have never been subject to such a strike.
Negotiations are set to commence on 9 January for workers at the Hilton Grand Vacations, Strat, with other negotiations scheduled throughout the week for locations including Circus Circus, Sahara and Circa. If negotiations break down, there is potential that the strike may occur earlier than the given deadline date.
On the strike, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union Ted Pappageorge said: “We’ve been working hard since last year to win historic contracts with the Big 3 and several independent casinos, but we aren’t done yet.
"It’s time for 7,700 workers employed at 21 properties to get a fair contract and have security for themselves and their families. Corporations are making record profits and workers deserve to have record contracts.”
He further described how the Union has played a key role in making hospitality jobs in Las Vegas sustainable for workers and their families, advocating for fair wages, job security and healthcare over the past nine decades.
