LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Tuesday will be a big day for hospitality workers in the valley as thousands are set to vote on a possible strike which could temporarily cripple resort casino operations.
The union represents tens of thousands of resort workers — from bartenders and room attendants to security personnel and cooks — who have been without a labor contract since June.
The union's members are pushing for better wages and working conditions as negotiations with three major resort companies continues.
The vote will happen Tuesday at the Thomas and Mack Center.
Channel 13 Anchor Joe Moeller talked to the secretary treasurer of the culinary union, Ted Pappageorge, asking him when the soonest a strike could happen, if it does?
"Legally, it could happen anytime after tomorrow because of the vote and the authoritzation, realistically we want to go back to the bargaining table we want the company to get a clear message that they are going to have to address this issue of inflation, wages, benefits, job security, workload, technology, safety they are going to have to address these things and we are going to give them that opportunity," the secretary treasurer told Joe.
The vote is for an authorization to vote from members, union leaders will ultimately decide if the strike will happen.
"We're hoping not to have a strike," Pappageorge says. "If anybody's ever been on strike, that's something you don't want to do."
Channel 13 Reporter Bryan Horwath talked with Deanna Virgil, a union member who works at Wynn Las Vegas. She says workers like her need higher wages in order to keep up with inflation.
"The maids, the cooks, porters, security, all the make the hotel function, if there was nobody there to do those jobs, they couldn't make money," Virgil says.
With major events like the Las Vegas Grand Prix and the NFL's Super Bowl coming up here in next few months, a worker strike would potentially be a blow for Strip properties.
After the vote tomorrow, another round of bargaining sessions are set for a week from now with MGM International, Caesars and Wynn resorts.
The culinary union expects more than 20,000 members to show up to the Thomas and Mack center to vote.
There will be two voting sessions, one at 10 a.m. and the other at 6 p.m.
