Unions sue 3 Las Vegas establishments, alleging unsafe working conditions

The Culinary Workers Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 — unions that represent about 60,000 hospitality workers in Las Vegas and Reno — are suing Harrah's Las Vegas, the Bellagio, and Signature Condominiums, claiming that the Las Vegas properties are not providing safe working conditions.

The lawsuit, filed Monday, specifically names The Signature at MGM Grand hotel, Sadelle's Cafe at the Bellagio, and Guy Fieri Las Vegas at Harrah's. The unions allege that the establishments are failing to promptly notify employees when co-workers test positive for COVID-19, are not conducting adequate contact tracing, and have provided false information about the coronavirus to workers.

Nevada hotels and casinos were given the green light to reopen on June 4, after shuttering in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit says that since March 1, at least 19 union workers, or members of their families, have died of COVID-19.

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In a statement, Caesars Entertainment, which owns Harrah's, said the company "did act in accordance with its health and safety protocols when it learned that an employee at Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen & Bar had tested positive for COVID-19," and "launched an investigation at the direction of the Southern Nevada Health District, which identified co-workers who came into close proximity (six feet or less for 10 or more minutes) with the individual who tested positive."