FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
STATEMENT by Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge regarding closure of The Mirage Casino:
The company announced today that The Mirage Casino is closing July 17, 2024 and will reopen end of May 2027 as the new Hard Rock Casino Las Vegas.
The Culinary and Bartenders Unions have been the bargaining representative for approximately 1,700 unionized hospitality workers at The Mirage Casino ever since the property was built and opened in November 1989. Culinary Union members at The Mirage have a strong union contract, ensuring that workers are protected, even as the property closes its doors entirely for 3 years from July 2024 - May 2027.
Late last year, the Culinary Union negotiated for and won redevelopment and closure language to ensure workers have the option to choose either a service recognition bonus of $2,000 for every year of service, plus 6 months of pension and health benefits or a lesser amount while maintaining seniority rights for the duration of the property’s closure and 36-months of recall rights.
Culinary Union contracts include strong language on layoff, recall, seniority, training, and placement so that unionized workers who choose to retain their recall rights and are recalled within 36-months of layoff will have access to free job training and seniority right of first-access to available job openings when the property reopens, and placement into other job opportunities as they are available.
Culinary Union will also host multiple Rapid Response events for The Mirage workers at the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas to connect workers to unemployment, job fairs, union benefits, and other resources.
Culinary Union will continue to ensure workers are protected and centered in the property’s future.
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ABOUT CULINARY UNION:
Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. UNITE HERE represents 300,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America.
The Culinary Union, through the Culinary Health Fund, is one of the largest healthcare consumers in the state. The Culinary Health Fund is sponsored by the Culinary Union and Las Vegas-area employers. It provides health insurance coverage for over 145,000 Nevadans, the Culinary Union’s members, and their dependents.
The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Latinx/Black/AAPI/immigrant organization with members who come from 178 countries and speak over 40 different languages. We are proud to have helped over 18,000 immigrants become American citizens and new voters since 2001 through our affiliate, The Citizenship Project.
The Culinary Union has a diverse membership which is 55% women and 60% immigrants. The demographics of Culinary Union members are approximately: 54% Latinx, 18% white, 15% Asian, 12% Black, and less than 1% Indigenous Peoples.
Culinary Union members work as: Guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry, and kitchen workers. The Culinary Union has been fighting and winning for working families in Nevada for 89 years.
CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226
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