Las Vegas Casino Workers Set Strike Deadline Ahead Of Formula 1 Grand Prix
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Over thirty thousand hotel workers at Las Vegas casinos who are fighting for new union contracts set a strike deadline Thursday for November 10, days before the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend opens on November 15—an event that is expected to draw tens of thousands of guests to the Strip.
Key Facts
Around 35,000 members of the Culinary Workers Union, which includes servers, cooks, and bartenders, said they could go on strike if they don’t reach a new contract deal by November 10, the Associated Press reported.
The workers’ contracts expired earlier this year, the union said, according to the Associated Press.
A strike would affect 18 casinos, including the Bellagio, MGM Grand, and Caesars Palace, the Associated Press reported.
The Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on the Strip from November 16 to November 19, with the opening ceremony taking place on November 15.
The event is expected to draw 30,000 people to Las Vegas, according to Sky Sports.
The Culinary Workers Union has been unsuccessfully negotiating since April with MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts which own and operate most of the casinos in Las Vegas, the Associated Press reported. Wynn Resorts declined the Associated Press’ request for comment, and Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International did not respond to the publication. Bethany Khan, the union’s spokesperson, did not tell the Associated Press how much of a pay raise members are looking for, but said it’s seeking “the largest wage increases ever negotiated.” Members currently earn around $26 an hour and have health insurance, according to the Associated Press. In a blog post from the Culinary Workers Union Tuesday, the union said it had reached an agreement with the Las Vegas Grand Prix and Liberty Media, which owns Formula One Group, to guarantee workers in the Formula 1 pit building have a right to vote on unionization. In August, members of the Culinary Workers Union held a rally amid contract negotiations.
Las Vegas previously hosted two Formula 1 races called the Caesars Palace Grand Prix in 1981 and 1982. The paddock for the upcoming race reportedly cost $500 million, and the race is expected to generate $1.2 billion for the state of Nevada.
