Culinary Union sets strike deadline for Friday
The Culinary Union, which represents about 35,000 workers at 18 hotel-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip and downtown, has set a strike deadline of Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, at 5 a.m. Pacific time. The union says it has been negotiating for seven months with the three largest private employers in Las Vegas: MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts. The union is demanding pay raises, improved health and safety measures, protection from automation and outsourcing, and more.
The union says it has the support of 99% of its members, who voted to authorize a strike in September. The union also says it has a strike fund of $150 million, which could sustain a walkout for more than a year. The last time the Culinary Union went on strike was in 1984, when workers at seven casinos walked off the job for 67 days.
The strike deadline coincides with the inaugural Formula One race in Las Vegas, which is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and generate millions of dollars in revenue for the city. The union says it is not targeting the race, but rather the casino operators who have failed to meet their demands.
VP Harris to uplift workers’ rights in Las Vegas
Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to arrive in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, as part of her “Fight for Our Freedoms” college tour. According to the White House, Harris will deliver remarks at the 2022 Constitutional Convention of the United Steelworkers, a labor union that represents workers in various industries, including gaming.
Harris will also meet with Nevada state legislators to discuss the fight for reproductive rights, as the state faces a potential challenge to its abortion laws from a conservative group that is seeking to put a ballot measure before voters in 2024.
Harris will also meet with the Culinary Union members, who are among her strongest supporters in Nevada. Harris has a long history of standing with the union, which endorsed her during her presidential campaign in 2019. Harris joined the union’s picket line at the Palms Casino Resort in November 2019, and spoke at the union’s town hall in December 2019. Harris also opposed the construction of the Raiders stadium in Las Vegas, which the union opposed because it did not guarantee union jobs.
Harris is expected to express her solidarity with the union’s demands and urge the casino operators to reach a fair agreement with the workers. Harris is also expected to highlight the Biden-Harris administration’s ongoing commitment to supporting workers and their right to collectively bargain.
Casino operators say they are bargaining in good faith
The casino operators, meanwhile, say they are bargaining in good faith and hope to avoid a strike. They say they have offered competitive wages and benefits, as well as enhanced health and safety protocols, to the union workers. They also say they have invested billions of dollars in Las Vegas, creating thousands of jobs and boosting the local economy.
The casino operators say they are facing unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced them to shut down for several months in 2020 and operate at reduced capacity in 2021. They say they have lost billions of dollars in revenue and profits, and have had to lay off or furlough thousands of workers. They say they need to adapt to the changing market and consumer preferences, which may require some automation and outsourcing.
The casino operators say they respect the union’s right to strike, but hope to reach a mutually beneficial agreement that will ensure the long-term success of Las Vegas.
