Strike by Las Vegas union members could spell disaster for the city's hotels, casinos

Members of the Culinary Union in Las Vegas are prepared to go on strike if the casinos don't approve a proposed five-year contract by the time the current contract expires on May 31.

The union says that of the 25,000 members who voted this week, 99 percent were in favor of a strike. In the wake of the #MeToo movement and the mass shooting outside the Mandalay Bay resort that left 58 people dead, the union is asking for more sexual harassment and safety protections, as well as a larger share of casino profits and more training in the latest technology.

Bethany Kahn, a spokeswoman for the organization, told the Los Angeles Times that the union has heard about "instances of verbal and physical abuse by guests and high rollers against cocktail servers and bartenders. We want language in the new contract regarding guests and high rollers that show zero tolerance for harassment so workers can do their work in dignity." The new contract would cover 50,000 workers at 34 casinos, including MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment resorts.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Last year, 42.2 million people visited Las Vegas, the city's Visitors and Convention Authority said, and Ruben Garcia, a law professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told the Times a strike could be "crippling because it's summer and there will be a lot of big events, including the NHL playoffs." The last citywide labor strike, in 1984, lasted 67 days. MGM and Caesars have both said they expect to come up with an agreement soon.