But now, 25 years later, Adelson's company — Las Vegas Sands — has sold the Venetian and its sister property Palazzo to Apollo Global Management. Adelson passed away in 2021 and the property's new owners decided to let workers decide whether they wanted to unionize.
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"I can tell you that I knew one day we would be doing that, but honestly, we didn't know when," he said. "We have a fighting spirit at the Culinary and Bartenders union here in Las Vegas, and we look at time maybe a little differently than some organizations do."
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For 14-year Venetian employee Carmen Vargas, who served on the negotiating committee that hammered out the new contract, it's not just better wages and good healthcare, but also the ability to buy a home.
"We are very, very happy that the union, 226, they support us, and now, with all those benefits we have, we're going to be very happy because we can support our families," Vargas said.
Getting the details of the contract worked out took months, and culminated in a final 22-hour negotiating session that left workers exhausted but elated, Vargas said.
"We was exhausted, but we was happy," said Vargas. "When Ted mentioned we have a tentative agreement, we was jumping of joy."
With the Venetian contract signed, the union turns its attention back to the Virgin Hotel, which saw its Culinary contract expire 15 months ago and has already seen strikes, as well as neighborhood casino giant Station Casinos, which has also resisted union contracts.
After its 25-year campaign to organize the Venetian, a more than six-year strike at the since-imploded Frontier Hotel and a history of organizing casinos owned by giant corporations, Pappageorge said the union has more than demonstrated its resolve.
"Look, when there's something that's the right thing to do, the Culinary Union, we're going to stick with workers until the very end," he said. "And we don't care how long it takes, and how hard it is, and how much work there is involved, we'll outlast folks and we'll do whatever it takes to make sure workers have their voice."