The team at This Week in Gambling will be headed to the Global Gaming Expo next week, even as the threat of a Las Vegas strike hands over the city. Last month both the culinary workers union and bartenders union authorized a strike after if necessary.
These unions represent well of over 50,000 Las Vegas employees, and they’re seeking a new five-year contract with better wages, more benefits, and profit sharing at the major resorts. If their demands are not met, the unions could implement a Las Vegas strike anytime after October 6th.
The Secretary-Treasurer for the culinary union, Ted Pappageorge, stated that the casino companies “…have an opportunity to do the right thing and step up and get a contract done, but if not, there could be a strike any time after that.
Up to now, the unions have been waiting to see what happens. However, they have met with MGM, Caesars, and Wynn in recent days. The union’s proposal would be the largest wage increase in history, and would reduced room quotas for housekeepers, improved safety for workers, and cut back on overall workloads, and more.
The unions have said that there is no deadline set for a Las Vegas strike at this time. However, negotiations have been going on since April with little progress. So, if your upcoming travel plans include Sin City in October, this is something to keep in mind.