Strike by Las Vegas union members could spell disaster for the city's hotels, casinos


Members of the Culinary Union in Las Vegas are prepared to go on strike if the casinos don't approve a proposed five-year contract by the time the current contract expires on May 31.
The union says that of the 25,000 members who voted this week, 99 percent were in favor of a strike. In the wake of the #MeToo movement and the mass shooting outside the Mandalay Bay resort that left 58 people dead, the union is asking for more sexual harassment and safety protections, as well as a larger share of casino profits and more training in the latest technology.
Bethany Kahn, a spokeswoman for the organization, told the Los Angeles Times that the union has heard about "instances of verbal and physical abuse by guests and high rollers against cocktail servers and bartenders. We want language in the new contract regarding guests and high rollers that show zero tolerance for harassment so workers can do their work in dignity." The new contract would cover 50,000 workers at 34 casinos, including MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment resorts.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Last year, 42.2 million people visited Las Vegas, the city's Visitors and Convention Authority said, and Ruben Garcia, a law professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told the Times a strike could be "crippling because it's summer and there will be a lot of big events, including the NHL playoffs." The last citywide labor strike, in 1984, lasted 67 days. MGM and Caesars have both said they expect to come up with an agreement soon.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Tea app hack: user data stolen from women's dating safety app
In The Spotlight Data leak has led to fears users could be targeted by men angered by the app's premise
-
The Assassin: action-packed caper is 'terrific fun'
The Week Recommends Keeley Hawes stars as a former hitwoman drawn out of retirement for 'one last job'
-
The EPA wants to green-light approval for a twice-banned herbicide
Under the radar Dicamba has been found to harm ecosystems
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement