Today, some of the roughly 700 striking hospitality workers from Virgin Las Vegas will take their next step toward negotiating a better deal by speaking at the Nevada Gaming Control Board meeting.
Their ongoing dispute with Virgin Hotels remains unresolved as they continue an open-ended strike to secure a new 5-year union contract.
The group will offer public comment at the meeting and give an update on where their side of the negotiations stands. At the moment, Culinary’s current dispute with Virgin Hotels has no end in sight.
Today's meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM PST.
Longest Strike in Over 20 Years
The strike, which began on November 15th at 5:00 a.m., marks the longest open-ended demonstration in the Resort Corridor in 22 years.
In contrast, the 2002 picket outside the Golden Gate on Fremont Street lasted just 10 days.
Currently, hundreds of workers are unemployed and relying on strike pay of $500 per week, as the situation persists until a deal is reached between the union and the resort. The workers include room attendants, servers, and kitchen staff.
In a statement on the Culinary Workers Union website, Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union, said: “Virgin Las Vegas workers are strong and we will stand alongside them until they win the fair contract they deserve. The company has refused to settle a contract over the last 19 months with fair wage increases and that’s unacceptable.”
Virgin Hotels Made Offer(s) the Union Didn’t Like
The contract at Virgin Las Vegas expired on June 1, 2023, and just before the strike started, Virgin offered a contract proposing a 30-cent annual hourly wage increase over five years.
Although the union remains dissatisfied, this offer is an improvement over the previous proposal, which suggested no raises for the first three years. Virgin's initial contract with the union (2019-2023) provided at least a 30% pay increase, and the hotel claims it did increase employee wages by an average of 30% during that period.
In an effort to address concerns, Virgin proposed moving some wage increases from the fourth and fifth years to the first three years. However, Virgin Hotels criticized the union's inflexible stance, arguing that the union's demands are financially unsustainable for the off-Strip location and could adversely affect all hotel employees.
Union Wants Similar Deal Other Resorts Made
The union has consistently stated that it seeks the same agreement with Virgin Hotels as with other Las Vegas resorts, such as the Strat and Westgate Las Vegas, which are in comparable situations.
"Virgin Hotels Las Vegas cannot financially sustain the demands of the Culinary Union," management said in a statement to the Las Vegas Sun. "As a property off the Strip, our revenue levels differ from larger on-Strip properties, preventing us from agreeing to the same financial terms.”, added.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is owned by several private equity groups with assets exceeding $11 billion, along with Fengate, a leading real asset and growth equity investor in North America.
Workers on the Picket Line 24 Hours per Day
The striking workers and union members have kept picket lines active day and night, at every entrance to the resort and casino, since the strike began.
A week into the strike, authorities arrested 57 Culinary Union members and Virgin Las Vegas workers during a peaceful protest.
During the Thanksgiving holiday, the Culinary Union arranged a food basket distribution and holiday dinner for those on the picket line.
No End to the Culinary Workers’ Strike in Sight
It remains to be seen if today’s public comments will have any bearing on the negotiations. Both sides appear to be digging in even further, as the strike goes on.
Virgin Las Vegas is relying on temporary workers to get them through the strike.
