Unionized hospitality workers in Las Vegas announced plans to strike in early February, just before the Super Bowl, if a new labor agreement is not reached with the city’s casino owners.
The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 announced a Feb. 2 deadline for the strike. If a deal isn’t reached between the unions and casinos by then, the unions say more than 7,000 workers would hit the picket lines.
The culinary and bartenders unions represent thousands of workers, from servers to laundry workers. According to the unions, Circus Circus, Sahara, Virgin and Golden Gate workers have yet to reach a deal with their casinos.
A Feb. 2 strike would sting Las Vegas’ ability to accommodate the flood of fans coming for the Super Bowl, being held Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium.
If workers do walk off the job on Feb. 2, it would be the first time in Las Vegas history that casino hospitality staff would be on strike.
In November, the unions reached a five-year agreement with Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts and Wynn Las Vegas that included 32% pay increases and a reduction in workload for the average worker. The workers without a new contract are seeking the same deal.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.