Union says strike deadlines for remaining Las Vegas properties could come soon

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Culinary Union avoided worker strikes with the biggest casino companies on the Strip, but thousands of resort employees in Las Vegas still face that possibility.

"We're giving them opportunities, but we're not getting contracts done," said Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Union, during an interview with Channel 13 on Thursday.

The parties Pappageorge referenced include 21 casino operators in Las Vegas, which employ around 7,500 workers. That includes spots like the Rio, Treasure Island, Sahara Las Vegas, and most casinos downtown.

Earlier this month, the union — which represents over 50,000 casino workers in Las Vegas — came to terms on new labor deals for employees at the Mirage and the Tropicana.

Pappageorge said at the time that those two contract negotiations were fast-tracked because of redevelopment plans for the plots of land where those properties are located.

The Oakland A's have plans to build a $1.5 billion baseball ballpark at the site of the Tropicana while the owners of the Mirage, Hard Rock, hope to build a new guitar-shaped resort where the Mirage now sits.

As for the workers without labor deals, Pappageorge says strike deadlines could be announced as soon as late January, but that's only if agreements aren't reached.

"We're happy these companies are making great money," he said. "But they're going to have to share the wealth or we're going to take strike authorization votes and we're going to set strike deadlines."

With the MGM, Caesars and Wynn deals, the union boasted that it secured the largest wage increases it has ever negotiated.

When asked if she is ready to go on strike if need be, Claudia Avalos, a room attendant at the Rio, said she won't hesitate. "We're willing to on strike for our contract," she said. "We deserve the best."

In all, 11 of the 21 remaining Las Vegas resort properties without new labor deals are located downtown.