Hundreds of hotel workers go on strike at a casino near the Las Vegas Strip
Hundreds of Las Vegas hotel workers have gone on strike at a casino near the Strip
LAS VEGAS — Hundreds of hotel workers at a casino near the Las Vegas Strip went on strike just before dawn Friday after a long and highly publicized fight for a new contract.
The strike at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas marks the first open-ended strike in 22 years for the Culinary Workers Union, the largest labor union in Nevada, with about 60,000 members.
The union posted on the social platform X on Friday morning: “@VirginHotelsLV casino is ON STRIKE! Virgin hotel workers are walking out RIGHT NOW at Virgin Las Vegas for a fair contract! Stand with the workers, DO NOT CROSS THE STRIKE LINE!”
«24/7 picket lines around the property” would be in place during the strike, the union said in a news release, urging customers to cancel reservations or check out and to choose a union accommodation.
The company’s proposal worked out to an estimated $0.30 per year to wages over five years after deducting money for benefits, Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge said in the news release.
“The Virgin Las Vegas’ proposal is miles apart and is an insult to every worker — which is why the committee voted unanimously to refuse to settle for a second-class contract,” Pappageorge said. “Workers at Virgin Las Vegas deserve a first-class contract with fair wage increases, and they are organized and ready to strike for it.”
Workers at the casino also walked off the job for 48 hours earlier this year as negotiations escalated, hoping to pressure Virgin Hotels to agree to a new five-year deal with increased wages and better benefits.
Housekeepers, cocktail and food servers, porters and bellhops were among those on the picket line Friday outside the
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