The Culinary Local 226 union in Las Vegas has struck a tentative deal with Caesars Entertainment to avoid a strike this week. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

One piece of the puzzle

The threat of casino workers striking has been a dark cloud hanging over Las Vegas in recent months. With members getting ready to go on the picket line in a couple of days, the Culinary Workers Union announced on Wednesday that it struck a tentative agreement with Caesars Entertainment. This means that the nine Caesars properties in the city won’t be impacted by the planned strike action.

Union officials are meeting with MGM Resorts on Wednesday and Wynn Resorts on Thursday to try to broker some sort of an agreement. A strike is still in the cards at the 11 properties under the ownership of these companies if no deal is made by Friday morning.

deal will cover approximately 10,000 of the 35,000 impacted union members

The union noted that it took about 20 consecutive hours of talks to arrive at the tentative five-year agreement. The contract will cover approximately 10,000 of the 35,000 impacted members.

Other talks ongoing

Caesars released its own statement regarding the agreement, noting the “integral contributions” of its team members that have led to a successful few years for its properties in Las Vegas. Those employees who are a part of the new deal will get “significant” pay raises and have the potential to grow within the company going into the future.

MGM Resorts reportedly has been telling its corporate staff that they must step in to replace striking workers if it comes to that.

Members still need to vote in order to approve the proposed contract; the union will not release the specific terms until a vote is successful. Las Vegas Locally said on X (formerly Twitter) that the pay increase is rumored to be 15% in the first year and 3% thereafter.

Seeking improvements

Casino workers strikes has been a hot topic as of late, with similar protests taking place in Canada, Detroit, and Australia. The Las Vegas workers are trying to secure pay increases, better workplace conditions, and job security assurances. They currently get an hourly wage of about $26, as well as health insurance.

voted overwhelmingly in favor of strike action in September

Casinos have been generating significant profits since the recent pandemic and tourist numbers are constantly improving. Negotiations began back in April and workers already held rallies in August and last month on the Strip, with the latter leading to the arrest of 58 individuals. Members voted overwhelmingly in favor of strike action in September.

Any sort of protest will likely have consequences for the highly anticipated Formula One race weekend that is set to attract over 100,000 people. Workers are planning to stage protests on Friday, which could continue over subsequent days. The race is taking place on November 18, and casinos expect a big build-up during the preceding week.