Culinary Union protest outside Virgin Las Vegas leads to 23 arrests

A recent protest outside Virgin Las Vegas has resulted in the arrest of almost two dozen Culinary Union members.

The Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that 23 union workers were arrested on trespass allegations, while the Culinary Union has also publicized this in its own statement.

The union released a statement and outlined the agenda for the gathering prior to the protest.

The group said, “There is an ongoing labor dispute at the Virgin Las Vegas and the Culinary Union is urging customers and community allies to not cross an active picket line at the Virgin Las Vegas and will be encouraging visitors to cancel their reservation, check out of the property, and choose a union accommodation.”

The protest, which began on Harmon Avenue, resulted in arrests after workers sat down at Virgin Las Vegas’ porte-cochere, the local report said.

Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge and President Diana Valles were present at the protest.

Pappageorge said in a post on X, “We took negotiations to the streets this evening to send a clear message to Virgin Las Vegas that it’s time to do right by their workers.”

Tension between the two groups has grown due to a failure to negotiate a new contract for union workers.

The current contract between Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and the union expired more than a year ago. Since then, attempts to negotiate a new contract have not gone smoothly.

In response, the culinary union held a two-day strike in May. More than 700 members of the state’s largest labor union left the job site to pressure the resort to give the green light on a five-year contract regarding benefits and wages.

During the last several months, the Culinary Union has successfully negotiated new contracts with other casino resorts throughout Las Vegas, including MGM, Caesars and Wynn.

Laura Mack

Visit Profile

Players trust our reporting due to our commitment to unbiased and professional evaluations of the iGaming sector. We track hundreds of platforms and industry updates daily to ensure our news feed and leaderboards reflect the most recent market shifts. With nearly two decades of experience within iGaming, our team provides a wealth of expert knowledge. This long-standing expertise enables us to deliver thorough, reliable news and guidance to our readers.