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25,000 Casino workers authorize strike in Las Vegas

Thursday, May 24, 2018

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las vegasFor the first time in more than three decades Las Vegas casinos will see tens and thousands of employee walk off the job after union members voted to authorize a strike scheduled at any time starting June 1.

 

This move could cripple the city’s world-famous resorts as about 25,000 members of the Culinary Union working at 34 different casino-resorts across the tourist destination cast ballots in two sessions which showed the collective power of the largest labor organization in Nevada.

 

 

The union negotiators will get a huge bargaining chip due to the move as they work to solidify new five-year contracts.

 

 

In 2002 the union last voted for a strike but was able to reach a deal before the employees walked out.The last strike happening in 1984 extended for 67 days and cost the city and its workers tens of millions of dollars.

 

 

The current strike would result losing workers with critical roles in running a casino-hotel like the bartenders, housekeepers, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks and other kitchen workers.

 

 

Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Bellagio, MGM Grand, Stratosphere, The D and El Cortez properties would be affected.

 

 

Fans heading to the city to watch the Vegas Golden Knights hockey team play in the Stanley Cup Final in early June might have to face problems.

 

 

Lewis Thomas, a utility porter at the Tropicana casino-hotel mentioned that this will be a wake-up call to let  the companies know that they were together, united and not separated. He will show the younger generations that this is how they fight to maintain their jobs, job security, health benefits to gain a pay raise.

 

 

 

By May 31, the contracts of 50,000 unionized workers will expire  and negotiations with individual casino-operating companies did not help in agreements for new terms.

 

It is said that the union officials want to increase wages, protect job security against the increasing use of technology at hotel-casinos.

 

They want to strengthen language against sexual harassment.

 

Geoconda Arguello-Kline, union secretary-treasurer stated  after the first voting session that they have been negotiating with the companies and they are not giving the workers what they deserve as per economy.They are very successful and have a lot of money.

 

 

The strikes could affect the  MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment Corp. which operates more than half the properties.

 

 

However, MGM mentioned that it will keep meeting with the union.

 

The company mentioned that a vote like this is an expected part of the process and they were confident that they can resolve the outstanding contract issues and will come to an agreement that will work for everyone.

 

 

Caesars mentioned that it expects to reach an agreement with the union on or about June 1.

 

Before the opening bell Wednesday the shares of both the casinos slid by 2 percent   and other gaming-affiliated companies were under pressure as well.

 

 

On Tuesday at the Thomas and Mack Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas the Union members gathered where they high-fived, took selfies and carried signs urging people to vote.

 

 

There were banners with slogans like –“Show up or give up, security strike vote” amid pro-union chants in English and Spanish.

Workers chanted, “Hey, Caesars, look around, Vegas is a union town” and “No contract, no peace.”

 

 

Some employees stopped by in their casino-resort uniforms on their way to or from work. Others donned shirts written “Vegas Strong” and the union logo.

 

The union organizers verified people who were eligible to vote and workers dropped their paper ballots in numbered boxes.

 

 

In 1984 when the casino workers across Las Vegas went on a strike, an estimated loss of $75 million was suffered from the union members in wages and benefits.

 

 

The city also lost some amount in tourism revenue and millions were lost in the gambling income.

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