Last Las Vegas Casino Reaches Agreement With Union Hours Before Strike Deadline In Time For Formula 1 Weekend
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With hours to go before a strike deadline,Las Vegas hospitality workers reached a tentative agreement with Wynn Resorts on Friday, avoiding a strike that could have coincided with the upcoming Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend which is expected to draw in over 100,000 spectators.
Key Facts
The Culinary and Bartenders Unions have reached a tentative agreement on a five-year contract with Wynn Resorts that would cover over 5,000 workers, the union said in a statement Friday, noting they reached the agreement at 2 a.m., three hours before the 5 a.m. strike deadline.
The union claimed a win after seven months of bargaining, saying they secured “the largest wage increases ever negotiated” in the Culinary Union’s history, as well as workload reductions for housekeepers, increased safety protections, and the right for unionized workers to support non-union restaurant workers seeking to unionize, among other things.
Wynn Resorts was the last of the major casinos to reach an agreement, after more than 30,000 union workers set a strike deadline last week for the company, as well as for Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, who reached agreements earlier this week.
Michael Weaver, chief communications and brand officer for Wynn Las Vegas said the company is “pleased that we were able to reach an agreement with Culinary Workers Union Local 226 which fulfills our shared goal of providing outstanding benefits and overall compensation to our employees” in a statement shared with Forbes.
The Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend is scheduled to start in five days, and is expected to attract 105,000 spectators a day, according to KTNV Las Vegas.
The Culinary and Bartenders Unions represent around 53,000 workers in Las Vegas, according to Reuters. Caesars, MGM, and Wynn operate 18 casinos along the Strip that would’ve been affected by a strike, including the Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, and Caesars Palace, the Associated Press reported. Union workers at MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment casinos reached similar tentative agreements, including wage increases, workload reductions, and funds for healthcare and pensions. The Culinary and Bartenders unions represent around 25,400 workers across eight of MGM’s Las Vegas properties, and 10,000 workers across Caesar’s properties on the Strip. Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union, said the tentative contract will give workers “significant raises every year for the next five years,” and will ensure workers continue getting “great union health insurance,” as well as their union pension and comprehensive union benefits. Workers will also get a say in how their work is impacted by technology.
