Workers at a Las Vegas casino are on strike. Here’s what to know

Hundreds of hospitality workers at a Las Vegas casino walked off the job Nov. 15, launching the first open-ended strike in more than two decades for Nevada’s largest union.

The workers are members of the Culinary Workers Union as well as an affiliated bartenders union, which together represent some 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in downtown Las Vegas.

The strike has grabbed headlines. Video of a protest last week posted to social media by the union showed members blocking a road in front of the hotel and police arresting union members.

The last time Las Vegas saw a similar labor dispute was in 2002, during a 10-day walkout by workers at the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas. It comes as Nevada’s gaming market and tourism activity on the Strip have been unexpectedly strong this year, dispelling investors’ expectations of a downturn in business.

Here’s what to know about the strike:

Why are the casino workers on strike?

With the strike in its second week, the Culinary Workers Union is hoping to pressure Virgin Hotels Las Vegas to agree to a new five-year contract with higher pay and better benefits for workers. The resort is located about a mile east of the Las Vegas Strip and has more than 1,500 rooms and suites. The property is owned by several investment groups, including JC Hospitality and LiUNA Pension Fund of Central and Eastern Canada.

The hotel has balked at terms that other Las Vegas casinos consented to last year that gave workers a 32% raise over five years, said Bethany Khan, a spokesperson for the union.

Union officials said Virgin’s proposals have offered only meager wage boosts.

“Workers at Virgin Las Vegas deserve a first-class contract with fair wage increases, and they are organized and ready to strike for it,” Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Union, said in a recent statement.

What does Virgin say about all this?

The hotel contends that the union’s demands are too costly and unrealistic.

“The Culinary Union’s current demand is not financially sustainable for Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, and we will not agree to the same contract that led to layoffs at other properties,” the hotel said in a statement. “Virgin Hotels Las Vegas remains focused on reaching a reasonable agreement that secures a brighter future for all of our 1,710 team members and their families.”

The hotel said the union has not engaged in meaningful negotiations in recent months.

“Despite Virgin Hotels Las Vegas agreeing to many of the Culinary Union’s demands and showing flexibility on critical sticking points, the Culinary Union has not seriously countered any of our economic proposals,” the hotel said.

Is this going to disrupt my upcoming trip to Vegas?

Probably not, unless you have plans to stay at the Virgin hotel or visit its casino, in which case it’s possible you might encounter picketing workers. The Culinary Union has said its strike has affected the hotel’s housekeeping, food and beverage departments, and several of its bars and restaurants.

But the hotel says its operations remain up and running through the strike.

“Despite the Culinary Union’s attempt to disrupt operations, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is open for business and continues to provide a memorable guest experience and exceptional guest service,” the hotel said in a statement.

Are other hotel workers in Vegas likely to strike?

No. About a year ago, hotels and casinos along the Strip narrowly averted a strike involving tens of thousands of hospitality workers by agreeing to a deal just before a strike deadline.

MGM Resorts International, the largest employer on the Strip, and Caesars Entertainment reached a deal covering more than 30,000 hospitality workers.

Is this walkout connected to the hotel strikes in Los Angeles I heard so much about?

No. The Las Vegas standoff is not tied to strikes at Los Angeles-area hotels that began last year and stretched into this year. Roughly 60 hotels originally involved in rolling strikes at properties in Los Angeles and Orange counties have reached deals, giving non-tipped workers a total hourly boost of about $10 over four years.

However, both strikes represent efforts by local hospitality unions to secure gains for their members, and both are affiliated with the powerful Unite Here. The unions have used some similar tactics, such as calling out what they describe as union-busting activity by hotels owned by other unions’ pension funds.

This year, Unite Here Local 11 — which represents Southern California hospitality workers — criticized a carpenters’ union pension fund that owns Hyatt Regency LAX. And in recent days, the Culinary Union leading the Vegas strike has criticized the Laborers’ International Union of North America, or LiUNA, which has a Canadian pension fund that is majority owner of Virgin Las Vegas.

Culinary Union officials sent a letter to LiUNA leaders criticizing Virgin’s hiring of temporary workers to replace striking union employees.

Virgin confirmed it has relied on temporary workers to keep operations running. LiUNA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.