Ethnic minorities make up a majority of Nevada’s population. Culinary Local 226, which represents some 60,000 hospitality workers in Southern Nevada, has a diverse membership which is 55% women and 60% immigrants, according to its website.
Union spokesperson Bethany Khan says equity provisions were written into worker contracts in 2023 when members won “career ladder language” that helps people of color “move up (or out) into other bargaining unit careers” via training through the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas, which is funded by partnering employers.