53,000 Vegas Employees Could Go On Strike

Article by : Erik Gibbs Sep 11, 2023

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The unions’ leadership representing 53,000 resort employees in Las Vegas, both on the Strip and downtown, is raising the stakes in ongoing contract negotiations. Culinary Workers Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165 have announced their intention to hold a strike vote by the end of the month unless significant progress is made.

Negotiations for a new five-year collective bargaining agreement have been underway since April, involving major gaming industry players such as MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts. These talks encompass approximately 38,000 non-gaming workers in these three largest Strip employers.

The contracts in question pertain to non-gaming staff, including guest room attendants, food servers, porters, cooks, bartenders and more, across approximately 50 Strip and downtown properties.

Culinary Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge expressed frustration, claiming that common grounds are nowhere close after months of negotiations. A strike vote has been scheduled for September 26 at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center.

Should most workers vote in favour of a strike, the unions’ negotiating committees will have the authority to call for a walkout. However, the unions have not yet set a strike deadline and intend to continue negotiations with the gaming companies.

Notably, Culinary and Bartenders workers voted to authorize a citywide strike in 2018, but new five-year agreements were reached before any walkouts occurred.

The last significant strike led by the Culinary Union occurred in 1984, involving 17,000 union workers at 32 Strip resorts. The nine-month strike resulted in six casinos severing ties with the union.

While the Culinary Union has occasionally authorized strikes against specific properties over the years, such as the lengthy strike against the Frontier in 1991, it pushes for improved conditions industry-wide.

The unions made a formidable statement at the end of June, staging a significant march down Las Vegas Boulevard. Also, official contracts between the resort properties and the unions formally lapsed at the close of May.

Still, the union asserted that it had secured contract extensions with most Strip properties. Moreover, any wage hikes eventually settled upon in a final contract will apply retroactively.

In addition to advocating for wage and benefit increases, the union has been actively pursuing various language adjustments designed to enhance job security, reduce workloads, safeguard against technological changes, enhance safety measures and facilitate the return of more workers to their jobs.