Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Hotel union workers end strike against Virgin Hotels Las Vegas with contract talks set for Tuesday

The largest labor union in Nevada has ended a planned 48-hour strike meant to pressure Virgin Hotels Las Vegas to agree to a five-year contract on wages and benefits

Via AP news wire
Sunday 12 May 2024 23:41 BST

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Nevada's largest labor union concluded a 48-hour strike Sunday meant to pressure Virgin Hotels Las Vegas to agree to a five-year contract on wages and benefits.

More than 700 workers with Culinary Union Local 226 walked off the job at the 1,500-room hotel-casino near the Las Vegas Strip on Friday morning and ended the strike Sunday morning. Contract talks are set to resume on Tuesday.

Guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, and laundry and kitchen workers were among those walking the picket line in front of Virgin Hotels, formerly the Hard Rock Las Vegas.

Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the union, said workers hoped the 48-hour strike would help expedite a new agreement. The union’s contract with Virgin Hotels expired 11 months ago.

Earlier this year, union members at other Las Vegas-area properties reached deals giving them a roughly 32% salary increase over five years, including 10% in the first year.

The last time Culinary Union members went on strike was in 2002 at the Golden Gate hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas.

Virgin Hotels filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board last week ahead of the anticipated strike, accusing the union of failing to negotiate in good faith. Pappageorge disputed the claim.

Last year, the union authorized a citywide strike prior to Las Vegas hosting the Super Bowl. But it eventually reached an agreement with major hotel-casinos on the Strip for about 40,000 workers and with most downtown and off-Strip properties for 10,000 workers.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in