Strike by Workers at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas Enters Second Day, Culinary Workers Union in Action
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The strike led by hundreds of hospitality workers at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas near the iconic Las Vegas Strip has made it through its second day. Members of the Culinary Workers Union, the largest labor union in Nevada with approximately 60,000 members, have shown readiness to bear the financial difficulties of being unemployed as they await a new contract.
The work interruption commenced on Friday, marking the first open-ended strike in 22 years for the Culinary Workers Union. Union members resumed the picket line on Saturday, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to their cause.
Workers at the casino resorted to a 48-hour walkout earlier this year as negotiations intensified. Their goal was to exert pressure on Virgin Hotels to agree to a fresh five-year contract that includes increased wages and improved benefits.
This strike follows a tense period when casinos across the Strip narrowly skirted a scenario where tens of thousands of hospitality workers would have gone on strike during the weekend when the city was preparing to host its inaugural Formula One race on the famed boulevard. Fortunately, agreements were reached just before the union’s strike deadline, resulting in a substantial 32% salary hike over the contract period, including a 10% raise in the first year.
Subsequent to the breakthroughs achieved last November, the Culinary Union swiftly secured similar agreements for its members in other major hotel-casinos located on the Strip, downtown, and off-Strip properties. Notably, negotiations with Virgin Hotels remained a challenge. The contracts on the Strip alone encompass over 40,000 workers.
While the union compensates striking workers with $500 per week for participating in picketing duties for at least five days, union members acknowledged on Friday that they anticipate financial strains during the cessation of work.
Lee McNamara, a leading dining room cook, disclosed that he had taken on a second job for approximately eight months to accumulate savings in readiness for the strike. Despite recognizing the adverse impacts of a strike, McNamara emphasized that it was a last resort due to the company’s reluctance to meet the workers’ demands.
Diana Monjaraz, employed in housekeeping, voiced her preparedness to endure challenges until a new contract is secured. “You sometimes need to endure some hardships to achieve victory,” Monjaraz asserted. “Instant gratification is not the norm.”
Both the union and Virgin Hotels attributed the stalling of negotiations to disagreements concerning remuneration. Bethany Khan, a spokesperson for the union, affirmed, “Workers have overwhelmingly chosen a robust Culinary Union contract that protects their benefits as they desire. Hundreds of workers are on strike to secure these safeguards.”
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas expressed its dedication to safeguarding workers’ jobs by ensuring continuous property operations. The establishment accused the union of negotiating in bad faith, repeatedly rebuffing substantial discussions with Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
The Culinary Union’s previous strike took place in 2002 when members staged a 10-day protest at the Golden Gate hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas.