Las Vegas hotel workers pass vote for strike action
A workers’ strike could cripple hospitality operations in dozens of Las Vegas hotels after union members voted to walk out.
The strike option was passed after about 25,000 members of the Culinary Union voted for a walkout which could take place any time after June 1.
The Culinary Union has members who work as bartenders, housekeepers, food servers, hotel porters, bellmen, and cooks.
Hotels with a large unionized workforce include Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Bellagio and MGM Grand.
The strike threat is still only an option and is being used as a bargaining chip as the union looks to negotiate new five-year contracts.
The city hasn’t seen a workers strike of this likely magnitude since the 1980s when it dragged on for more than two months and cost the industry millions in lost revenue.
The union did pass a vote to strike 15 years ago but a deal was reached just before a planned walkout.
The contracts of 50,000 workers expire at the end of May with no new deal on the table yet.
"We’ve been in negotiations with the companies, and they are not giving the workers what they deserve according to the economy right now," said Geoconda Arguello-Kline, union secretary-treasurer.
"They are very successful. They have a lot of money."
MGM pledged to keep an open dialogue with union leaders and says it is ‘confident that we can resolve the outstanding contract issues.’
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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