LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Pit building workers for the Las Vegas Grand Prix will now have the option to unionize.
The Culinary Union announced on Tuesday that the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Inc. and the Liberty Media Corporation, through a subsidiary that owns the pit building on East Harmon and Koval Lane, had reached a "card check neutrality agreement." The agreement will allow pit building workers the right to decide whether to unionize.
“We are pleased that, through good-faith collaboration, we have reached an agreement with the Culinary Union that allows our team members at the pit building the opportunity to choose whether to unionize and reflects the value and appreciation we hold for these critical members of our organization,” said Renee Wilm, Chief Executive Officer of Las Vegas Grand Prix, Inc. and Chief Legal Officer and Chief Administrative Officer of Liberty Media. “We greatly appreciate the role that the Culinary Union plays on behalf of its members and look forward to continuing this beneficial relationship.”
This news comes as negotiations between the union and MGM Resorts, Caesar's Palace, and Wynn Resorts continue to move forward, though an agreement has not been met with any of them yet.
"We are proposing a five-year contract, which means we have to have substantial economics for the entire five years for significant wage increases but also for healthcare," Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union, told Channel 13. "Technology is another big issue. We are not there yet, but we made some headway on guaranteeing they take notice when they bring in new technology when it deals with reduced hours and job eliminations."
In a statement on Tuesday, Pappageorge praised the new agreement, saying, "The Culinary Union, Las Vegas Grand Prix, Inc., and Liberty Media have reached a card-check neutrality agreement which will guarantee workers at the pit building have the right to organize and, if they decide to unionize, negotiate a union contract – which will guarantee these will be great union jobs and meet our high Las Vegas standards that the Culinary Union has built-in 88 years. As Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, also becomes the sporting capital of the world, the Culinary Union remains focused on ensuring that working families are centered in this transformation and have good union jobs with the best health care, job security, and are treated with respect and dignity on-the-job.”
