Hundreds of casino and hospitality workers at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas are set to walk out of their jobs on Friday, May 10, until Sunday morning.
The Culinary Union represents 700 workers at the property. That is mostly hotel and backroom staff, but includes some casino workers.
The casino is currently run by Mohegan Gaming, the gambling arm of the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut. However, this week, the tribal operator announced the casino would be returning to Virgin’s control by the end of the year.
Workers at Virgin Las Vegas are currently on temporary contracts after their previous agreements expired last year. Across Las Vegas, nearly all large casino resorts have agreed to new workers’ contracts in the past 12 months under threat of mass strikes. They seek new contracts with increased job security, pay rates, and benefits.
“It’s been nearly one year since the contract at Virgin Las Vegas expired on June 1, 2023, and workers are still working without a contract,” said Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer at the Culinary Union, in a press release.
“That’s why the Culinary Union has called for a 48-hour strike at the Virgin Las Vegas, and urge the community and customers to not cross the strike line.”
The Strike
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has been, since February, the only large Las Vegas casino that has not confirmed new contracts with workers after they began to expire in 2023.
Union leaders and casino bosses agreed to new terms across Las Vegas operations in late November 2023, and then February 2024.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas was given more time to negotiate after its competitors found agreements before the initial February 5 mass strike deadline. However, the union now says little progress has been made.
“Workers at Virgin Las Vegas deserve fair wage increases and they are organized and ready to strike for it. As Virgin Las Vegas workers go on strike on Friday, May 10th, the Culinary Union has their back every step of the way, and we will win.”
During the strike, housekeeping services and restaurants at the hotel resort will not be operating. Casino services will be running, but with disruptions.
If it goes ahead, as it looks likely to, it will be the first Las Vegas casino strike since workers at the Golden Gate Casino walked out in 2002.
The Negotiations
Virgin hit back on Thursday, issuing a comment to local Las Vegas media. The British multinational hospitality giant accused the Culinary Union of not giving it a fair chance in negotiations.
“We do not believe the Union is negotiating in good faith,” a spokesperson said.
“For this reason, we have moved to take legal action and we have filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board. Our commitment to providing exceptional service remains unwavering, and we continue to work towards a swift resolution that benefits both our team members and our guests.”
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
