LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — All across America, organized labor seems to be in the spotlight.
It's happening in Las Vegas, Detroit and California as unions for different industries have gone on strike — or threatened to — in recent months.
Jeff Waddoups, a professor at UNLV and a labor economist, says he'd have to think hard to come up with the last time unions were as influential as they seem to be today.
"They sense that they have more bargaining power than they used to," Waddoups says.
Here, close to 95 percent of Culinary Union members who showed up for a strike authorization vote on Tuesday signaled that they're ready to go on the picket line.
IMPACT: The impact of a culinary union strike in Las Vegas: A look at the economy, tourism and businesses
Contract talks between union leaders and those at the three biggest Strip resort casino companies — MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts — are scheduled for next week. But if the union decides to strike, it could temporarily cripple resorts along Las Vegas Boulevard.
"I think coming out of the pandemic, there's more job dissatisfaction," says Bill Werner, an associate professor at UNLV who teaches courses in labor-management relations. "There's more people who are starting to think they've been underpaid for a long time."
In Michigan recently, President Joe Biden picketed with striking auto workers, marking the first time that an American president has been seen openly backing striking union members.
In Hollywood, a high-profile writer's strike is set to end as a new labor deal has been agreed to after five months of strike actions.
Partly because of a tight labor market, finding employees has been difficult of late for many companies. That includes many Las Vegas casino companies.
That, along with other factors, has helped lead to a union resurgence.
"It's a moment," said Culinary Union leader Ted Pappageorge on Tuesday. "There's a moment right now — it's a time for workers. They're ready to stand up, and they're ready not to be left behind."
It's unknown how the culinary labor spat will end, but if Las Vegas workers get what they want, it will likely add to the growing sense of union power across the U.S.
"Is this an inflection point, or is this just going to be a blip?" said Waddoups. "That is a really good question. I wish I knew the answer to that."
