LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — After Bally's sealed a deal with the Oakland A's for a new ballpark, employees of the Tropicana Las Vegas received a memo on Monday detailing plans for a "temporary closure" of the hotel for "redevelopment."
Officials are now saying that the memo was released "prematurely" and is "inaccurate" to the current situation. They also say that their main focus is the "current operation of the Tropicana."
This news comes after the Oakland A's struck a deal with Bally's Corporation on Monday that would see a new ballpark built on a portion of the Tropicana Las Vegas property. In a news release, George Papanier, the president of Bally's Corp., hinted at the demolition of the property, calling a potential ballpark a "new landmark" that would be "built in its place."
In the initial memo, hotel officials said that the closure of the hotel is "dependent on several factors," referring to the approvals still needed by the A's from the State, Clark County, and Major League Baseball.
In an updated release sent to employees on Tuesday, officials clarified that the plans regarding the recent agreement with the Oakland A's is still in "very preliminary stages."
The initial memo stated that the Tropicana would remain open for "the next 18 to 24 months" as "various approvals are pursued, and design explored."
One question posed in the memo simply reads, "Will I lose my job?"
The memo responds, "Yes, although, while Tropicana Las Vegas will be closed temporarily for development, we anticipate that employees will find an enhanced career opportunity when the casino hotel resort reopens."
The revised memo clarified that any employees impacted by the closure will have an opportunity to "find employment across the Bally's portfolio" and will "maintain seniority."
Officials also highlighted the fact that a new hotel bearing the Bally's name on the Strip would take "several years to design, develop and build," and the goal is to keep Tropicana open "as long as practicable."
In a statement on Tuesday, the Culinary Union said that they would be present during any potential Tropicana closures to "negotiate to ensure worker's rights... are strictly followed." They also hope to confirm that employees will receive additional compensation, health care coverage, and pension benefits while the property is closed, per the guidelines of union contracts.
"Culinary Union contracts include strong language on layoff, recall, seniority, training, and placement so that unionized workers will have access to free job training and continued benefits during the closure, seniority rights of first-access to job openings when the property reopens, and placement into other job opportunities as they are available," Culinary Union officials stated in the release.
The release continued, "Culinary Union will ensure workers and their jobs are protected and the contract is followed."
