FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2014
Media contact:
bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ @Bethany Khan ▪ (702) 387-7088
Unions Reach Tentative Agreements with The Plaza and the Las Vegas Club
LAS VEGAS, NV – Hours before the strike deadline, the Culinary and Bartenders Unions’ negotiating committee reached a tentative agreement with The Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Las Vegas Club Hotel & Casino for new 5-year contracts. The settlement is retroactive to June 1, 2013, if it is ratified by the workers. The Plaza and the Las Vegas Club are no longer on the list of casinos facing a strike on June 1.
The latest settlements follows the standard of a fair agreement set by earlier deals with other Downtown casinos, including the Golden Nugget, Fremont, Main Street Station, El Cortez, The D, Four Queens, and Binion’s.
“We congratulate the Plaza and the Las Vegas Club for working with their employees so that they can continue to have the opportunity to provide for their families.” said Geoconda Arguello-Kline, Secretary-Treasurer of the Culinary Union. “We hope that the Golden Gate respects their workers at the negotiation table like everyone else in town.”
“I’m very happy,” said Janice Thomas, a housekeeper at the Plaza. “Going on strike would have been hard but I would have to protect my healthcare, pension, and benefits.”
“I feel great,” said Doug Anderson a bartender at the Las Vegas Club. “I like working Downtown and having a union contract means I will continue to have a good job.”
At 5 a.m. on June 1, restaurant workers, hotel housekeepers, cocktail servers, bartenders, and other members of the unions at the Golden Gate will walk off their jobs and start 24/7 picketing of the Golden Gate unless a fair agreement is reached. As of release date, there are over 85 union workers without a contract in Downtown Las Vegas.
Culinary Workers Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent over 55,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. UNITE HERE represents 270,000 hospitality workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America.
www.CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226
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