700 Workers Walk Off the Job at Las Vegas Hotel-Casino in 48-Hour Strike

The tension between workers and management at a hotel-casino near the Las Vegas Strip reached a boiling point on Friday morning as about 700 workers walked off the job in a 48-hour strike organized by the Culinary Union Local 226. This marks the first strike in 22 years for the union, which has been in negotiations with Virgin Hotels for a new five-year contract.

Guest room attendants, cocktail servers, porters, cooks, and other staff members formed picket lines in front of the hotel-casino, just blocks away from the bustling Strip. The union accused Virgin Hotels of failing to negotiate in good faith, prompting the strike action. Virgin Hotels, on the other hand, filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming the union engaged in unlawful bargaining tactics.

Despite the strike being on a smaller scale compared to previous citywide strikes, the location of the hotel-casino makes it a significant landmark in Vegas. The Culinary Union had previously reached agreements with other major hotel-casinos in the area, securing salary increases for workers over five years.

Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union, expressed hope that the 48-hour strike would push Virgin Hotels to expedite negotiations and reach a new agreement on wages and benefits for its employees. The union had called off a previous strike deadline in February, but with the contract expiration looming, workers felt it was time to take action.

As the strike unfolds, both workers and management are at a standstill, with the NLRB complaint adding another layer of complexity to the situation. The outcome of the strike will not only impact the workers at Virgin Hotels but also send a message to other hotel-casinos in the area about the importance of fair negotiations and agreements with their employees.