Culinary Workers Union Secures Historic Contract with Las Vegas Casinos

In December 2024, the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 achieved a historic milestone by securing a first-time union contract with Fontainebleau Las Vegas, marking the complete unionization of all major casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. This agreement, effective from January 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028, covers nearly 3,300 hospitality workers, including guest room attendants, food servers, and kitchen staff.

The contract includes substantial wage increases, comprehensive health benefits, and enhanced job security measures. Specifically, it secures the largest wage increases ever negotiated in the union's history, with every worker receiving a 10% wage increase in the first year and a total of 32% in raises over the life of the new contract. Additionally, the agreement provides comprehensive health benefits through the Culinary Health Fund, which covers over 145,000 Nevadans, including union members and their dependents. Enhanced job security measures include recall rights, ensuring workers have the right to return to their jobs in the event of another pandemic or economic crisis for up to three years. The agreement also includes workload reductions and daily room cleaning for guest room attendants, addressing concerns about overwork and ensuring better working conditions. On-the-job safety protections are strengthened, including the provision of safety buttons and mandatory room checks to ensure employee and public safety.

This achievement is particularly notable given the national decline in union membership, underscoring the Culinary Union's resilience and influence in Nevada's hospitality industry. While union membership has dropped to 10% nationally, the Culinary Workers Union has demonstrated resilience and influence in Nevada's hospitality industry.

Founded in 1935, the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 is Nevada's largest union, representing approximately 60,000 members in Las Vegas and Reno. The union's membership includes a diverse range of hospitality workers, such as dishwashers, maids, cooks, and concierges. Over the decades, the union has played a pivotal role in shaping labor relations within Nevada's hospitality industry, often engaging in significant labor actions to secure better wages and working conditions for its members.

Historically, the Culinary Workers Union has been involved in several significant labor actions. In 1976, the union held a 16-day strike against 15 large hotel-casinos in Las Vegas, resulting in significant wage increases and highlighting the union's power to shut down the city's tourism industry. In 1984, a massive labor strike was staged when casino owners refused requests for a change in health insurance, involving 18,000 workers across Las Vegas. More recently, on September 26, 2023, tens of thousands of hospitality workers in Las Vegas authorized a potential strike affecting over three dozen casinos and hotels, advocating for better pay, benefits, and working conditions.

The complete unionization of the Las Vegas Strip has several social and economic implications. The union's success empowers workers, providing them with a collective voice to negotiate better wages, benefits, and working conditions. By securing substantial wage increases and comprehensive benefits, the union contributes to the economic stability of its members, many of whom are from immigrant backgrounds. The union's achievements set a precedent for labor relations in the hospitality industry, potentially influencing labor practices in other regions.

Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union, stated, "This milestone agreement not only guarantees job security and fair wages, but also upholds the high standards the Culinary Union has tirelessly fought to establish across Las Vegas." Kila Boswell, a guest room attendant at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, expressed, "For me, the most important part of the contract was winning fair wage increases so that we can support our families and save for the future."

This historic agreement underscores the Culinary Workers Union's enduring commitment to advocating for hospitality workers' rights and sets a new standard for labor relations in the Las Vegas hospitality industry.