LAS VEGAS (AP) — Hundreds of hospitality workers at a casino near the Las Vegas Strip walked off the job just before dawn Friday amid a long and highly contentious fight for a new contract. The work stoppage at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas marks the first open-ended strike in 22 years for the Culinary Workers Union, the largest labor union in Nevada, with about 60,000 members. Workers at the casino also earlier this year as negotiations escalated, hoping to pressure Virgin Hotels to agree to a new five-year deal with higher wages and better benefits.
Housekeepers, porters, bellhops and servers picketed outside the hotel-casino, which was formerly the Hard Rock Las Vegas. Michael Renick, a bartender who has worked at Virgin Hotels for about two years, said he’s already used to living paycheck to paycheck and closely monitoring his bank balance. That’s why, he said, he was willing to go on strike for as long as it takes to get a fair contract, even if it means getting a second job during the strike.
“I’m ready to go for as long as I need to, and I’m pretty sure that’s how everyone else is feeling too,” he said. The union pays striking workers $500 per week for picketing shifts for at least five days. Virgin Hotels said in a statement that it is focused on reaching a deal with the union that is “economically viable” for both its union workers and its other employees.
“Our dedication to our team members’ well-being and achieving sustainable performance at our p.