LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The possibility of a culinary union strike in Las Vegas is leaving visitors concerned.
I spoke with some travel agents and a UNLV economist who said a strike could definitely impact our local economy. A vote by the Las Vegas Culinary Union to strike could have a major impact on our hospitality industry.
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"If they are on strike, what are you going to do? In a casino that is not working and a restaurant where no one is serving me?" asked frequent Las Vegas visitor Frits Vlommarert from Holland.
He says a need for higher wages is a good reason for union members to strike, but does not want to be in the city when it happens.
"Tourists will say 'I'm not going that week, I'll cancel my flight and I'll cancel my bookings,'" he said.
Owners of Las Vegas Voyagers Lauren Anthony and Ryan Bass say the possibility of a culinary union strike is also impacting their travel agency.
"It makes it difficult for us to provide our customers with a secure trip," Bass said.
"What are your customers telling you guys?" I asked.
"The level of concern is very high right now. But who's going to come clean your room? Nobody wants to clean their own room when they're on vacation. If there's no one cooking, that reduces the options of food you have. It just makes for an unpleasant experience. People want to go to Vegas to relax," Bass said.
Professor of Economics and Director of Economic Research at UNLV, Stephen Miller, believes both employees and the resorts will be hurt by a strike.
"What can this mean for our city, here in Las Vegas, to have something like this happen?" I asked.
"Well, overall, it is not a good thing," Miller said.
He says it will take time to recover from the loss.
"What can be the consequences of a strike here in Las Vegas?" I asked.
"Well, if it goes on for too long of a period of time and if tourism is off by too large of an amount, the economy will slow down, and we can go into a recession," he said.
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Vlommarert says although the tourist experience may be impacted, he believes resorts need to compensate their employees fairly.
"They make a lot of money off the backs of the people who work there," he said.
I did reach out to the three top employees on the Las Vegas Strip: MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts, for a response, and I have yet to hear back from them.
