Culinary, resort employers reach deals to avoid citywide strike
Culinary Local 226 said it has struck deals with nearly all remaining unsettled hotel-casinos — and called off a strike deadline for one — averting a Monday morning walkout threat at several near-Strip and downtown properties.
The last tentative agreement was reached between the hospitality union and Downtown Grand, representing about 200 workers, on Sunday. All but one Strip and near-Strip properties have deals as well. Culinary and associated Bartenders Local 165 said Sunday they decided to give more time to Virgin Las Vegas, an off-Strip resort owned by JCH Hospitality.
Other contracts achieved Friday and Saturday include Dreamscape Cos.’ Rio, Boyd Gaming’s Main Street Station and Fremont, TLC Casino Enterprises-owned Binion’s and Four Queens and Tilman Fertitta-owned Golden Nugget.
Other agreements reached before Friday’s original deadline include the Plaza, El Cortez, Circa, D Las Vegas and Golden Gate in downtown Vegas and the Sahara on the Strip.
Culinary officials said they set a “historic” contract that has similar gains to what was earned with the Strip’s three largest employers last fall. Those include increased wages and benefits, a daily housekeeping requirement, protections from job-replacing technology, workforce safety measures and more.
“These were tough negotiations and it took over two years of preparation, 10 months of negotiations, lots of hard work, committee meetings, sleepless nights, and worker-led organizing,” Culinary Secretary Treasurer Ted Pappageorge said in a statement. “Culinary Union members comprise a major component of Nevada’s middle-class and in these negotiations, we proudly won our fair share of record profits by securing historic protections and billions in raises for working families in Nevada.”
Other independently operated Strip properties reached tentative agreements with the union in the weeks leading up to the deadline, including Treasure Island, Circus Circus, Tropicana, Mirage, The Strat, Westgate and others.
Union members ratified a deal with MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts in November. The union threatened to strike several days before the Formula One race, putting pressure on operators to finalize the contract agreement.
The tentative agreements avoid a labor dispute before the region hosts Super Bowl 58 on Sunday.
Culinary has been negotiating a citywide five-year contract for its members after it expired last June. It represents housekeepers, servers, bellmen, porters, bartenders and kitchen and laundry workers across the valley.
McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Contact her at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.