Las Vegas Culinary Union preparing signs for strike as leadership 'does not see big progress'

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Culinary Union said they are preparing picket signs Monday at their headquarters before the Nov. 10 strike deadline.

Officials with the union said they are continuing their strike preparation by assembling signs for MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts.

"I'm ready to go on strike for my family," Said Aretha Wilder, union member. ​"We've worked hard for these companies.We deserve not to be left behind. We deserve not to have our hours cut, we deserve not to have to work two or three stations.

"We really don't see big progress, since the very beginning we said we would do whatever it take to get a fair contract," said Elsa Roldan, union member.

Monday, Michael Weaver, chief communications and brand officer for Wynn Resorts, said, "Wynn Resorts will save our comments regarding negotiations for the bargaining table."

Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer and Diana Valles, president of the Culinary Union are expected at the headquarters alongside culinary and bartenders union members.

They will prepare signs around 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. at their headquarters near Wyoming Avenue and S. Las Vegas Boulevard.

If an agreement for a new contract is not reached by Nov. 10 at 5 a.m., union leadership says a strike would impact 18 casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.

Meantime, Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge said there's been movement with the casinos since the civil disobedience that last month, and most recently, the strike deadline announcement but said it's still not enough.

"We have made movement in the last week since the announcement of the strike deadline. We are cautiously optimistic. And we are going to do the work over the next few days to get to a settlement," said Pappageorge. 

Still, he's hopeful for a positive outcome when negotiations continue this week.

"If any company does the right thing, and moves the way we need them to move in a significant way, then we could reach a settlement. We may end up with one, two, three of these companies on strike," said Pappageorge.

Meantime, visitors we spoke with say they don't want to be on the strip if a strike happens.

"I would be discouraged to come back if there were no culinary staff here," said a visitor.