As expected, just hours before the deadline of the current Las Vegas hospitality worker strike, the Culinary Union has announced that a tentative agreement has been reached with Wynn Las Vegas for a new five-year contract.
This news comes following yesterday's announcement of a similar deal being struck between the Culinary Union and MGM Resorts. The tentative agreement settled between the two parties is said to have resulted from a 20-hour meeting and is set to impact over 25,000 workers in several Las Vegas hospitality properties.
In a statement yesterday, Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge said, “After seven months of negotiations, we are proud to say that this is the best contract and economic package we have ever won in our 88-year history.”
In its statement, Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union, said: “After seven months of negotiations, we are proud to say that this is the best contract and economic package we have ever won for in our 88-year history.
“Workers have secured significant raises every year for the next five years, preserved our great union health insurance, union pension, and comprehensive union benefits, while gaining historic improvements in housekeeping workload reductions, substantial improvements for workers regarding safety at work, the ability to have a say in how technology impacts our work and ensuring the union and members can support non-union hospitality workers who seek to join our union.
"With this new union contract, hospitality workers will be able to provide for their families and thrive in Las Vegas and we applaud Wynn Resorts for agreeing to a great union contract which will ensure workers are protected with the best health care benefits, highest wage increases ever, and union job security. Wynn Resorts has long been a tremendous partner and we are proud to see that workers will enjoy in the success they have helped build. Congratulations to Wynn Resorts workers on your new tentative agreement!"
When the strike was first proposed by the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 in late September, 95% of union workers voted in favor of it. While Wynn Las Vegas and MGM Resorts have made agreements ahead of today's proposed strike action, not all operators have made agreement announcements.
On the strike, Pappageorge stated, “If these gaming companies don’t come to an agreement, the workers have spoken and we will be ready to do whatever it takes - up to and including a strike. Workers brought every single one of these companies through the pandemic and into a great recovery, and workers deserve a fair share.”
