Las Vegas casino workers reach deal to end months-long strike

Workers at the off-Strip Virgin Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas have ended one of the longest strikes in the city’s recent history after reaching a five-year agreement with the management.

“Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and the Culinary and Bartenders unions are pleased to be moving past their contract negotiations as each looks forward to fostering a positive and collaborative working relationship for the benefit of all team members at the property,” the Culinary and Bartenders Unions and property said in a statement.

The five-year union contract was unanimously approved, ending the strike, which began November 15. This development comes just in time for Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

In the statement, the unions affirmed that the new contract will help them overcome their disagreements and cultivate a productive and cooperative future.

After the new agreement, Virgin hotel employees join fellow union members at other Vegas properties to have wage increases, reduced workloads and housekeeping room quotas and on-the-job safety protections, as per reports. 

Virgin Las Vegas was the only remaining resort in the city to reach an agreement with the Culinary Union. The hotel employees had been pushing for a five-year contract with a rise in wages for a while now. 

As per the new deal, workers will receive a 10% wage hike in the first year, with pending payments coming over the remaining years of the contract, according to The Los Angeles Times. The non-tipped workers will reportedly be paid $4.32 an hour and tipped workers will be paid $2.16. They will also be compensated for the days they missed work due to the strike.

The Culinary Union staged a 48-hour strike at the Virgin hotel last May. The walkout hampered the everyday schedule at the hotel, including housekeeping, food and beverage and unionized restaurants on the property.

The Culinary and Bartenders Unions consist of 60,000 hospitality workers across Nevada, 53,000 of which are in Las Vegas.

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