A strike by some 700 Culinary Workers Union members at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas entered its second week Sunday, with no negotiations scheduled between the union and hotel management, The Associated Press reports.
Picketing continued outside the 1,500-room property, located near the Las Vegas Strip, just days before the city prepares to host hundreds of thousands of visitors for the second annual Las Vegas Grand Prix.
This is the first open-ended strike by the Culinary Union, Nevada’s largest labor union with roughly 60,000 members, since a 10-day walkout at the Golden Gate hotel-casino in 2002. Workers are demanding pay raises and benefits comparable to those secured last year at other Las Vegas resorts. Those contracts, covering tens of thousands of workers at properties including the Bellagio, Paris Las Vegas, MGM Grand, and Caesars Palace, included salary increases of approximately 32% over five years.
Virgin Hotels, however, contends that these agreements are “economically unsustainable” and accuses union leaders of refusing to engage in “meaningful negotiations.” In a statement released Sunday, the company said it is seeking a “reasonable agreement” for its 1,710 employees. The hotel has reportedly received over 600 applications from prospective contract and temporary workers since Friday.
The union, meanwhile, provides striking members with $500 per week for at least five days of picketing. The walkout affects a wide range of hotel staff, including guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, bartenders, laundry, and kitchen workers. Last May, the union staged a 48-hour job action at Virgin Hotels to pressure the company into a new five-year contract. Last week, Virgin Hotels did reach a contract agreement with 105 members of the Teamsters Union, representing front desk, valet, and call center workers.
The timing of the strike poses a significant challenge as the Formula 1 race is set to begin next week. The potential for disruption to services during this major tourism event remains a key concern. Both union spokesperson Bethany Khan and Virgin Hotels media representative Terri Maruca confirmed that no new negotiations are currently scheduled.
