Largest Wage Boost for Casino Employees in Las Vegas's 90-Year Casino History Achieved by Culinary Union
Las Vegas Culinary Union Announces Significant Wage Increases and Benefits for Thousands of Casino Resort Workers
In a significant development, the Las Vegas Culinary Union has reached tentative agreements with several major casino operators, including Resorts World Las Vegas and MGM Resorts International's The Cosmopolitan. The agreements cover nearly 4,500 workers and mark the largest wage increases in the union's 90-year history.
The three-year contract with Resorts World Las Vegas, which covers almost 2,000 workers, seeks to bring the contract onto the same timeline as other properties on the Strip. The agreement includes comprehensive health care benefits, access to the Culinary Health Fund and Centers, the Culinary Academy, and various legal and housing funds. It also guarantees a union pension, strong successorship language, extended recall rights, and improvements in workload, safety, and protections against sexual harassment [1][2].
Meanwhile, The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas' three-year contract, which covers about 2,500 workers, includes similar wage increases, workload reductions for guest room attendants, mandated daily room cleaning, enhanced safety protections, and expanded technology contract language. The contract also supports non-union restaurant workers seeking to unionize [3][4]. Both contracts are set to expire on September 30, 2028, aligning with other casino properties on the Strip [1][3].
The Strip is now 100% unionized, according to Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge, who described the agreements as a "win for workers, the company, and the future of Las Vegas" [5]. In a separate development, Harry Reid International Airport has also reached a five-year contract for 1,100 workers, but further details about the agreement are not yet available [6].
This series of union agreements represents significant victories for the Culinary Union, contributing to a fully unionized Las Vegas Strip and reinforcing the union's legacy of securing family-sustaining jobs in the hospitality industry [2][4].
Sources:[1] Las Vegas Review-Journal: Resorts World Las Vegas union deal could be announced by this fall[2] Union Files Lawsuit against Resorts World Las Vegas[3] Las Vegas Sentinel: Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas union contract reached[4] Las Vegas Review-Journal: Culinary Union victorious in negotiations at Cosmopolitan[5] Nevada Independent: Union announces tentative deals with Resorts World Las Vegas, Cosmopolitan[6] Las Vegas Sun: Culinary Union reaches deal with Harry Reid International Airport
Workers at Resorts World Las Vegas and The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, a popular destination for casino-and-gambling activities, will benefit from significant wage increases and improved benefits as part of their new union contracts. The agreements mark a historic milestone for the Las Vegas Culinary Union, contributing to a fully unionized Las Vegas Strip, reinforcing the union's legacy of securing family-sustaining jobs in the hospitality industry.
