Culinary union reaches contract deals with Vdara, Signature in Las Vegas

Culinary Local 226 said Tuesday it reached tentative contract agreements at two Strip hotel properties.

The hospitality workers union announced the agreements with Vdara, a 1,395-room hotel next to Aria hotel-casino, and The Signature, with its 730 rooms neighboring MGM Grand. The union said the agreements would cover more than 1,000 workers.

Culinary members still must ratify the agreements, which received overwhelming support at other resorts. MGM Resorts International workers at most of the company’s other Strip properties ratified a five-year contract with the operator last fall. Roughly 25,000 members were covered at those properties.

The union began negotiating the new contract cycle last spring before most contracts expired in June. They threatened a strike on MGM, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts properties before the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix in November to expedite the discussions.

The union said it achieved a “historic” contract for its workers, including a 10 percent wage increase in the first year of the contract, retroactive to June 1, with a 32 percent increase over the total life of the contract. The average worker earns about $26 an hour, including benefits. That figure is expected to reach $35 by the end of the five years.

Other contract language covered guaranteed lower workloads, technology protections and career support.

Culinary is still negotiating a contract agreement for about 700 workers at Virgin Las Vegas, an off-Strip hotel-casino.