Las Vegas’s Culinary Workers Union votes to strike, potentially paralyzing Strip

Hospitality workers in Las Vegas have voted to go on strike, bringing an additional challenge to a city that is still reeling from a recent cyberattack.

The Culinary Workers Union, which represents tens of thousands of guest room attendants, cooks, and bartenders, among others in Las Vegas, voted to strike against their employers on Tuesday, marking the first time in over 30 years that the union has voted to walk off the job. The union members are calling for increased pay, job security, and better conditions.

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“We are the glue that keeps these hotels together, and we should be paid what we deserve,” said Deanna Virgil, an employee at Wynn Las Vegas.

John Locher/AP

Ted Pappageorge, the union’s secretary-treasurer and chief negotiator, has stated that the three biggest resort companies on the Las Vegas Strip — MGM, Caesars, and Wynn Resorts — would be the first to be affected by this strike.

MGM Resorts said in a statement in response to the strike that it has a history of negotiating with the union and that “both parties are committed to negotiating a contract that is good for everyone.”

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The CWU’s strike is happening only a couple weeks after the United Auto Workers began striking at midnight on Sept. 14. The UAW strikers were joined by President Joe Biden on Tuesday in Michigan, where he delivered remarks to the protesters.

The strike comes only a few weeks after MGM Resorts was hit with a massive cyberattack, which forced multiple locations to shut down. The cyberattack caused multiple casino machines to shut down, as well as lock guests out of their rooms.