Culinary Union sets February 2nd strike deadline for 21 Strip, Downtown resort-casinos
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The Culinary and Bartenders Unions on Monday set a February 2nd strike deadline for the more than 20 Las Vegas Strip and Downtown properties with which they have yet to reach a new contract.
Unless a satisfactory deal is reached by 5 pm on that date, some 7,700 workers will walk off the job. However, Culinary Workers Union Local 226 says if negotiations break down, workers could strike individual properties sooner.
Negotiations with the properties are ongoing. Union leadership plans to meet with nine this week, and two more local resort-casinos next week.
A strike would mark a first for several resort casinos. Many have never faced this sort of labor standoff before.
Last year Culinary Local 226 authorized a citywide strike when they reached an impasse with six major resort-casinos. That walkout was planned for just days before the start of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and the arrival of hundreds of thousands of F1 race fans. Eleventh-hour deals with major Strip properties like MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts averted a strike and resulted in historic five-year contracts.