Culinary union members picket downtown casinos ahead of strike deadline

Culinary union members persisted in their picketing efforts outside downtown Las Vegas casino properties that still had unresolved contracts.

The culinary union had established a strike deadline for Monday, encompassing all properties with unsettled agreements.

Currently, six Las Vegas resorts remain in this situation. Virgin Hotels is the last property on the Las Vegas Strip with an unsettled contract, as the union recently revealed a tentative agreement with Rio Hotel and Casino, Binions, and Four Queens on Friday. The four downtown Las Vegas properties in question include the Golden Nugget, Downtown Grand, Fremont, and Main Street.

Bella Angeles, who has been employed at the Golden Nugget for 15 years, passionately joined her fellow 3,600 workers in chanting and displaying signs while they awaited new five-year contracts.

"Fingers crossed that we get all that we need and deserve," Angeles expressed.

Their demands encompassed better pay, improved benefits, and increased job security in the face of technological advancements.

"Support the union, support us in our fight for our jobs and our families. This isn't just about me; it's about all our families," she passionately declared outside her workplace.

Despite not being situated on the Las Vegas Strip, Tedd Pappageorge from the Culinary Union clarified that Virgin Hotel is considered a Strip property. Rio Hotel is also categorized as such.

"They all market themselves as Strip properties and have historically adhered to Strip rates and contracts, and we are not inclined to change that now," Pappageorge emphasized.

Pappageorge further explained that the contracts are uniform for all Strip properties, with the new agreement increasing wages to $37, up from an average of $28, inclusive of benefits.

The downtown properties have a slightly lower wage offer.

Bill Werner, a labor relations professor at UNLV, offered insight during an interview with 8 News Now on Friday. He mentioned that the union views Las Vegas as two distinct markets: the Strip and Downtown. He also noted that the eight-month duration it has taken to reach a deal is a typical timeframe in these negotiations.