Las Vegas Spared Casino Workers Strike Ahead of Super Bowl

Article by : Erik Gibbs Feb 6, 2024

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With the arrival of the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, the potential disruption caused by a casino workers strike was the last thing the city needed.

Fortunately, a resolution seems to be on the horizon, as Culinary Local 226 announced successful agreements with all but one of the casino hotels, easing concerns. The exception, Virgin Las Vegas, has been granted an extension to facilitate further negotiations with the union.

Throughout Friday and Saturday, comprehensive contracts were successfully negotiated with prominent establishments, including the Rio, Main Street Station, Fremont, Binion’s, Four Queens, Golden Nugget and Downtown Grand.

Culinary Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165, wielding the authority to initiate strikes at 5 AM on Monday if agreements were not in place, managed to forestall immediate labor actions through these successful negotiations.

This deadline extension had already been applied from the initial Friday morning cutoff. Preceding the first deadline, the unions had successfully reached agreements with El Cortez, the Plaza, D Las Vegas, Circa and Golden Gate in Downtown Las Vegas, as well as the Sahara on the Strip.

Similar to the scenario in the fall, when MGM, Caesars and Wynn-owned properties faced potential strikes ahead of the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, the culinary union has again navigated through challenging negotiations.

In this latest instance, the union claims to have achieved substantial gains for its members. These include improved safety measures, higher wages, a daily minimum housekeeping requirement and safeguards against technological advancements that could replace jobs.

Reflecting on the challenging negotiation process, Culinary Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge conveyed that it involved over two years of preparation, 10 months of negotiations, extensive hard work, committee meetings, sleepless nights and worker-led organizing, as mentioned in a Sunday release.

Pappageorge emphasized that no victory in the union’s history is ever guaranteed. Thousands of workers participated in various activities such as rallies, protests, civil disobedience, picketing, surveys, picket sign-making, strike voting and delegations within the properties.

These collective efforts aimed to secure a better future for themselves and their families. Culinary Union members, playing a significant role in Nevada’s middle class, achieved notable success in these negotiations by securing historic protections and billions in raises for working families in the state.

The Culinary Union stands as the representative body for tens of thousands of hospitality workers in Las Vegas, encompassing roles such as cocktail and food servers, laundry workers, guest room attendants, bellmen, porters, cooks and kitchen staff.

With Super Bowl LVIII on the horizon, Las Vegas anticipates an influx of well over 300,000 visitors, along with 6,000 accredited media members from 26 countries.

The championship game, featuring a rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, is reminiscent of their clash four years ago, where the Chiefs emerged victorious with a scoreline of 31-20.

Notably, this marks the first time Las Vegas has hosted the prestigious Super Bowl event.