History was made when Local 226 of the Culinary Union and Local 165 of the Bartender’s Union agreed earlier last week to their first contract with owners of the betting establishments, the Venetian and Palazzo on the Las Vegas Strip.
Dawn of a New Era
Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corp., owner of the Venetian and its sister hotel, the Palazzo, kept the unions at bay for over 20 years. However, once Adelson passed away in 2021, and the properties were sold, the landscape began to shift. Apollo Global Management, a New York-based asset management firm and new owner of the properties following Adelson’s demise, was not averse to its workers unionizing which allowed the unions to gain a foothold.
They cemented their imprint when members of the Culinary Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 ratified those contracts and now 4000 workers, from housekeepers to porters to casino workers are protected with this new agreement.
“Today’s tentative agreement on a new 4-year union contract with The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is a testament to the power of worker solidarity and determination,” said union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge in a news release.
“The workers at The Venetian Resort have now made history by unionizing 25 years after the property opened its doors. This contract not only guarantees job security and fair wages, but it also upholds the standards that the Culinary Union has fought to establish in Las Vegas,” he added.
The focus of the union deal at both properties is as follows:
- The largest wage increase ever
- Increased worker security regarding sexual harassment matters
- Technology information for new employment
- Choice of health care benefits
- Workload reductions
- Safety protections for workers
Last year the unions reached deals with fellow Strip properties MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts. The agreements with the Venetian and Palazzo are reported to be identical to those.
“Culinary Union applauds The Venetian Resort for doing the right thing and for agreeing to protect their employees with a strong union contract,” Pappageorge stated after the deal was announced. “The Venetian Resort becoming union ensures that Las Vegas remains a place where workers’ voices are heard, respected, and protected.”
Union Trouble at Virgin Las Vegas
Approximately one mile off the Las Vegas Strip sits the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and it was the site of recent union activity that caused 23 arrests for civil disobedience. The workers have been without a contract for over a year and its members are getting frustrated.
“Ahead of Labor Day weekend, approximately 23 Culinary Union members were arrested at the Virgin Las Vegas this evening in an act of nonviolent civil disobedience as 700 hospitality workers continue pushing for a new 5-year union contract at the property. Virgin Las Vegas is in an active labor dispute with the Culinary and Bartenders Unions as the contract expired June 1, 2023,” the Union stated.
The bone of contention between the two sides is the hotel’s insistence on no pay raises for the first three years of what would be a five-year contract. The sides have not met since early July.
“We took negotiations to the streets this evening to send a clear message to Virgin Las Vegas that it’s time to do right by their workers,” said the Culinary Union’s Secretary-Treasurer Pappageorge.
