Next meeting March 13
The Culinary Union, which represents some 55,000 hospitality workers in Las Vegas, recently voted to end contract extensions for a number of Downtown and stand-alone Las Vegas Strip properties. Those properties include the LVH, the Riviera, Treasure Island, the Stratosphere and Tropicana.
The contracts still being negotiated represent fewer than 10,000 workers, according to Union Gaming. The Culinary Union has already reached contract extensions with MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment.
The move is not atypical for the Culinary, Union Gaming noted. Contracts are usually finalized with major Strip operators first, followed by the “one-off properties and Downtown casinos.” But the remaining properties could face strikes and picketing if they don’t come to terms soon.
“The economic increases of the contracts reached with MGM and Caesars were fairly modest,” Union observed. “We thought the agreement reached with the major strip operators would serve as catalyst for smaller properties to reach a similar deal. However, at this point talks appear to be progressing slower than anticipated and with the contract extensions having ended, picketing/striking is possible.”
The Culinary Union could vote on a strike at a meeting March 13. The last contract was reached in 2007-08.
