Tens of thousands of Las Vegas Strip hotel workers at 18 casinos could on go strike this month
if contract talks with their employers fail.
The Culinary Workers Union, which represents around 25,000 bartenders, housekeepers, and other hospitality and service workers at the 18 casinos, has been in negotiations with 57 major casino operators over a contract that expired on June 1. The union set a deadline of June 14 for the casino operators to finalize the contract, and if the negotiations fail, the union says it will go on strike.
The union is asking for five years of job security, protections from automation, and safer working conditions for housekeepers. They are also asking for easier access to health care, quality child care, and increased wages. A union spokesperson says that the casinos have been unwilling to make meaningful progress on these issues.
If the strike takes place, it will be the first large-scale labor action on the Las Vegas Strip in decades. Such a strike would have a major impact on the Strip, the heart of the Las Vegas economy, as thousands of hotel workers provide the backbone of the tourism and hospitality industry. A strike could impact casino profits and disrupt tourism plans for visitors to the area.