ONLINE / SOCIAL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
STATEMENT by Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge regarding AB112, AB201, AB283, AB287, AB367, AB388, AB434, SB220, SB260, and AJR11:
AB112 (Kin care leave)
The Culinary Union supports AB112 which would remove the exemption preventing employers from being required from providing skincare leave of union members. Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass AB112.
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AB201 (Sealing eviction records)
The Culinary Union supports AB201. Sealing eviction records gives Nevadans a fair shot at securing stable housing. A single past eviction shouldn’t be a life sentence and impact their entire future. Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass AB201.
Kimberly Ireland, retired bell desk dispatcher at the Mirage, and Culinary Union for 15 years:
“I was evicted during the pandemic because I had a bad landlord who wouldn’t work with rental assistance and didn’t everything he could to aggressively push me out.
Now five years later, I continue to live with my parents since I am still unable to rent a property because of the eviction stain on my record.
When I inquire to try to get the eviction records sealed, I’m told that I would have to pay the old balance which is thousands of dollars. Who has that?
Being evicted once shouldn't destroy my future forever.
I support AB201 because it would protect renters like me.”
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AB283 (Summary eviction reform)
The Culinary Union supports AB283. Reforming Nevada’s summary eviction process is a matter of basic fairness. Renters deserve justice with proper notice and the opportunity to be heard in court before potentially losing their homes. Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass AB283.
Shawn Best, a cook on the Las Vegas Strip and Culinary Union member for 15 years:
“I was evicted in September 2020 from a place owned by Westland Real Estate after they served by a 5-day notice for a summary eviction.
When I got that eviction notice on my door I felt scared. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic, so while I was working full time, there was a lot of uncertainty from closures to no hope of a vaccine at that time.
I worked with lawyers to file a Motion to Stay and a Motion to Set Aide - both were denied by David Brown, the Hearing Master, about 2 to 3 days after I filed them. I felt like he didn’t even look at my motions and just rubber stamped the eviction.
I was evicted in September 2020 when there was an eviction moratorium. When I got the 24-hour notice from the Constable I moved as much of my stuff as I could to my car, started living in hotels, and I contacted Attorney General’s office to help and they did.
A week after I was evicted, I got a call and an email from the landlord. They said they confirmed with corporate that they made a mistake in evicting me. They said I could move back to the same unit and that I could pickup the keys since they had changed the locks. No apology or anything, but I’m really thankful that I had help from AG Ford’s office. It really helped me during a difficult time.
This was the first time I was evicted so I felt scared going through the process. I didn’t know where I was going to go or what I was going to do with all my stuff. I was scared of becoming homeless or having to live in my car. I am a diabetic, so I was especially worried about how I would be able to store my insulin. Remember, in September, there was no vaccine access yet, so it was a pretty stressful time.
Going through the summary eviction process myself, it felt like there was no compassion at all. I felt like landlords have the upper hand and they just want you out and if they do - it’ll happen.
I’m sharing my story today to encourage the Nevada Legislature to please end summery evictions. Thank you.”
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AB287 (A fair recount process)
The Culinary Union supports AB287 and having a more fair recount process for our state’s elections. Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass AB287.
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AB367 (Language access for voters)
The Culinary Union, Nevada’s largest organization of immigrant workers, strongly supports AB367. Culinary Union members come from 178 countries and speak over 40 different languages, and the union strongly supports the voting rights of all Nevadans. It is impossible for Nevadans to be able to functionally exercise their rights if they cannot fully comprehend voting materials provided to them. Language should not be a barrier to Nevadan’s attempting to access their fundamental rights. Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass AB367.
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AB388 (Paid family leave)
The Culinary Union supports AB388. AB388 would require public and private employers to provide their workers with 12 weeks a year of paid family leave, which is paid time off for health and family purposes, such as paternity and maternity leave. Businesses with fewer than 50 workers would be exempt. Paid family and medical leave is a basic right. All workers should be able to care for themselves and their loved ones without risking their job or income. Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass AB388.
Lino Paredes, banquet stewarding lead at Wynn Casino for 3 years, and Culinary Union member for 7 years:
"After my son was born, my wife had to stay in the hospital for 3 weeks to make sure she fully recovered.
My newborn also had to stay in the hospital, in the NICU, as a precaution.
Since I had the paternity leave, I was able to stay with my wife and my newborn and be there for them and with them. I remember spending time with my baby, changing his diapers, feeding him, and bonding while my wife was in recovery.
Those weeks were very important in my life to be with my baby and my wife, and I'm grateful that I have a strong union contract that gave me that opportunity. After 3 weeks, my wife was released from the hospital with my son and I went back to work.
I wished I had more time off to help my wife with our newborn.
I strongly support AB388, which will help other young parents like me to have paternity leave.
I believe every parent deserves it."
Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass AB388
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AB434 (Banning mandatory captive audience meetings)
Mandatory captive audience meetings are an intimidation tactic used to silence workers. The Culinary Union urges the committee to listen to following Station Casinos’ worker story of retaliation and protect workers’ rights to organize free from coercion. Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass AB434.
Dan Serwinowski, a banquet server at Station Casinos’ Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa regarding the impact these captive audience meetings have on workers:
“I started working at Red Rock as an on-call banquet server in December of 2006, about six months after they had opened. I enjoyed it so much I decided to move my way up from on-call, to part-time, to full-time A List. This was where I wanted to retire.
I always had aspirations of Red Rock becoming a union hotel so we could have fair wages, free medical care, a pension and other benefits. I decided to become a committee leader with the Culinary Union to start organizing, which was our right.
With all of our hard work, including several picket lines, and dealing with Union busters, we were ready to vote to unionize. We had secured an election date of December 19, 2019.
Management distributed a flyer which was titled mandatory captive audience all team member meeting. The meetings were held December 16 and 17th, two days before the election to vote yes or no on the union.
I attended one of these meetings. The company made announcements and promises about benefits. Top managers said that the benefits were only guaranteed if we rejected the union. Right away one thought I had was, how could they be doing this right before the election?
I ask you today to please examine this company flyer and ask the company about it.
The period of time between the mandatory captive audience meeting and today has been a very stressful and sometimes depressing time. From 2006 to 2020 I served Red Rock with loyalty and dedication. I worked my way up to the A list. I had hopes and plans and savings for building a home. But during the pandemic, management chose to separate me from the company and then I came back as an on-call server.
I wish the company had not held mandatory captive audience meetings for its own employees. And again I ask you to examine the flyer and ask the company about it.”
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AJR11 (PRO Act resolution)
The Culinary Union supports AJR11. The PRO Act is about restoring power to working people. The Nevada Legislature has a chance to take a stand for workers’ rights to organize without fear or retaliation. Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass AJR11.
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SB220 (Film bill)
The Culinary Union is engaged in ongoing discussions with the developers of the project aimed at reaching an agreement that assures the jobs created by the project are good jobs that meet the high standards that Culinary Union members have fought for over decades to win. This includes fair wages, union benefits, and strong protections on-the-job. We hope these conversations are successful and will update the Nevada Legislature on the results of our discussions. Culinary Union is currently neutral on SB220.
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SB260 (Protections for outdoor workers in smokey environments)
The Culinary Union employs hundreds of canvassers who work outdoors and we already follow the protections SB260 proposes. These protections are not burdensome and they are common sense. Any employer that cares about their workers’ health should support this legislation. Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass SB260.
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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% Latino/a, 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 90 years.
CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226
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