FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
Comedian Steve Hofstetter cancels show at Virgin Las Vegas in solidarity with Culinary Union strikers -
Las Vegas, NV – This week, Comedian Steve Hofstetter announced the cancellation of his early January show at Virgin Las Vegas, citing solidarity with hundreds of Culinary Union members on strike. Originally scheduled for Saturday, January 4, 2025 at 24 Oxford – Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Hofstetter’s show has been cancelled and rescheduled for Monday, May 19, 2025, at 7:30pm at Wise Guys Comedy in Town Square.
Hofstetter announced the cancellation on his Facebook page that was met with support in the social media comments among his fans:
“Hey friends. I was hoping the strike would be settled by now, but it isn't. And so in solidarity with the striking culinary workers, I am cancelling my January show at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas. If you already had tickets, your money is being refunded automatically,” said Steve Hofstetter in a social media post. “Meanwhile, I have added a show in Vegas in May, so you can grab tickets to that one. Tickets on my website, as always. Thank you for understanding, and I hope to see you soon.”
“Steve Hofstetter’s cancellation is more than just an act of solidarity – it’s a courageous stand for justice and fairness. Virgin Las Vegas has threatened their own employees with permanent replacements, hired scabs, and raised the issue of worker’s deportation. Steve’s decision to stand with workers, many of whom are immigrants fighting for a better life, sends a powerful message that no one should tolerate corporate greed or mistreatment of working families. We call on all customers, performers, entertainers, conventions, and organizations with scheduled events at Virgin Las Vegas to follow Steve Hofstetter’s lead. The choice is clear: Either stand with workers who are fighting for dignity by staying out of Virgin Las Vegas until the strike is resolved or side with a company that has shown blatant disregard for its employees and their families,” said Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union. “Virgin Las Vegas insulted workers with an offer of an estimated 30 cents an hour in wage increases (per hour, per year, after benefits are paid) meanwhile Fengate, a massive Canadian investment management firm worth over $9 billion, is the majority owner of Virgin Las Vegas. The billionaire Canadian owners have extremely deep pockets, yet they refuse to meet the standards that other hotels like the Strat and Westgate have already agreed to. Non-tipped workers at the Rio already secured over $4 an hour wage increases in 2024, but that’s not happening at Virgin Las Vegas, and that’s outrageous. We are making it clear to those big Canadian billionaire owners trying to walk all over workers in Nevada – take your 3 dimes and go back to Canada if you can’t meet the Las Vegas union standards. Virgin Las Vegas workers are strong and they will stay out on strike until they win a contract that respects their contributions and values their hard work. Workers can’t live on 30¢ increases! Workers are not asking for anything extraordinary – they are demanding what they deserve for their hard work. Until Virgin Las Vegas respects its workers and offers a fair contract, this strike will continue and Steve’s bold action by cancelling his show should inspire others to do the same and join the fight for justice.”
ABOUT THE ON-GOING STRIKE AT VIRGIN LAS VEGAS:
For the first time in more than two decades, the Culinary Union is leading its longest-lasting strike, taking workers at Virgin Las Vegas out in an open-ended strike that began November 15th at 5:00am as workers continue fighting for a new 5-year union contract for 700 hospitality workers. Since the strike began, hundreds of striking workers and union members have maintained 24/7 picket lines at every entrance and exit along Harmon Avenue and Paradise Road around the casino property.
The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Latinx/Black/AAPI/immigrant organization with Virgin Las Vegas strikers who hail from over 23 different countries, including: Belize, Benin, Bulgaria, Cuba, Denmark, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Mexico, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States.
One week into the strike, 57 Culinary Union members and striking workers from Virgin Las Vegas were arrested November 21, 2024 in an act of peaceful civil disobedience. The labor demonstration drew hundreds of striking workers and union members. During the Thanksgiving holiday, Culinary Union hosted food basket distribution and a holiday dinner on the picket line for strikers. Three weeks into the strike, hundreds of strikers marched to tell Virgin Las Vegas’s billionaire Canadian owners to take their 3 dimes back to Canada. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Congressional representatives Dina Titus and Steven Horsford, Nevada Treasurer Zach Conine, Clark County Commissioners Tick Segerblom and William McCurdy II, and other elected political leaders have supported workers by walking the picket line and visiting with strikers. Nearly four weeks into the strike, Culinary Union released “A Strike Song (VirginLV). One month into the strike: The NFLPA pledged to stand with strikers and called on fans and athletes to not sleep, eat, or drink at Virgin Las Vegas during the strike. Culinary Union hosted STRIKEmas on the picket line, a STRIKEmas Carnival for children of strikers, a holiday food drive-thru, and launched VirginLasVegasAlert.org. Five weeks into the strike, Culinary Union strikers picketed and delivered coal to the front door of the company. Six weeks into the strike, USC released a statement that they have asked repeatedly for hotel alternatives so that the team wouldn’t have to cross a picket line, VirginLV management and company security tried to dismantle parts of the strike line, and Comedian Steve Hofstetter cancelled his show at VirginLV.
The contract at Virgin Las Vegas expired on June 1, 2023. Culinary Union has been reaching out to locals, venue performers, customers, investors, company board members, gaming regulators, and community allies about the strike. As the strike continues, the Culinary Union is urging tourists, venue performers, elected officials, and community allies to stay out of Virgin Las Vegas and is actively encouraging customers to cancel their reservation, check out of the property, choose a union accommodation, and eat at union restaurants.
COMING TO LAS VEGAS AND PLANNING TO STAY AT VIRGIN LAS VEGAS? Ahead of CES (January 7-10), Fancy Food Show (January 19-21), World of Concrete Expo (January 21-23), AVN Adult Entertainment Expo (Jan 22-25), The ARA Show (January 30-February 1), 2025 Academic Surgical Congress (February 11-13), CHAMPS Trade Show (February 12-15), Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (February 25-27), Exchange 2025 (March 23-26), Bar & Restaurant Expo (March 24-26), Directions North America 2025 (April 7-9), EDC/Electric Daisy Carnival (May 16-18), and SEIICon (July 14-16), the Culinary Union is asking locals, elected officials, political candidates, conferences/conventions, and tourists to support hospitality workers by not patronizing the Virgin Las Vegas during the strike.
Culinary and Bartenders Unions strikers are from all major areas of operations at Virgin Las Vegas, including housekeeping, food and beverage departments, and the following unionized restaurants: Casa Calavera, Funny Library Coffee Shop, Juice Bar, The Bar at Commons Club, The Kitchen at Commons Club, and The Shag Room.
Virgin Hotels is a lifestyle hospitality brand that Sir Richard Branson's global Virgin Group has pioneered for over 50 years. Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is owned by the LiUNA Pension Fund of Eastern and Central Canada (LPFCEC), Fengate Asset Management, and Juniper Capital. LPFCEC, based in Oakville, Ontario, has over C$11 billion in assets; over 150,000 members in Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Prince Edward Island; and over 27,500 pensioners and beneficiaries. Fengate, with offices in Toronto and Houston, is a real asset and growth equity investor in North America. Juniper, headed by managing partners Jay Wolf, Alex Krys, and Armand Reale, makes direct investments in real estate and advises a variety of institutional clients with a focus on value creation. In August, Nuveen Green Capital, a subsidiary of Nuveen and a TIAA company, agreed to give Virgin Las Vegas $190 million in financing. TIAA serves non-profit institutions & their employees. Nuveen manages assets for clients including its parent company TIAA.
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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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