MEDIA ADVISORY FOR:
Wednesday, August 5th, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
As Trump lands in Las Vegas amid the ongoing Trump Slump, Culinary Union asks why Governor Lombardo won't fight for workers and stand up to Trump
Las Vegas, NV - As Trump visits Las Vegas and hosts his event at a Station Casinos property controlled by two of Governor Joe Lombardo's largest donors, the Culinary Union will highlight how the Trump Slump is negatively impacting Nevada's economy and ask why Lombardo won't stand up to Trump.
WHO:
*Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union
*Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV-01)
*Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV-04)
*Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV-03)
*Culinary Union members
*Station Casinos workers
*Community members
WHAT: Trump Slump press conference and media availability
WHEN: Wednesday, August 5th at 10:00am
WHERE:Culinary Union (5241 Spring Mountain Road Las Vegas, Nevada 89146).
Livestream will be available at: Facebook.com/Culinary226
WHY:
Nevada is in the Trump Slump. Trump’s tariffs, chaotic immigration and mass deportation policy, the war in Iran, and high grocery and gas prices are hurting working families and driving away the Canadian, Mexican, Southern California, and international tourism Nevada depends on.
Trump is coming to Las Vegas to highlight No Tax on Tips, but his short-sighted plan includes a marriage penalty, leaves out banquet and restaurant workers who get tips through service charges/buyouts, penalizes immigrant workers, and is temporary - set to sunset when he leaves office. As tourism continues to decline under Trump's policies, many hospitality workers already don't make enough in tips to tax in the first place.
Governor Lombardo has done nothing to protect workers from the Trump Slump. He hasn’t done anything to stand with workers employed at Station Casinos, a company federal labor regulators found carried out "extensive, coercive, and unlawful misconduct" against its own employees, including illegally firing workers and using the pandemic as cover to discriminate against workers trying to organize.
The Fertittas, who run Station Casinos, each donated $1 million to a Lombardo-affiliated PAC, while Station Casinos itself donated another $1 million. They collectively were responsible for about one-third of all money raised by Lombardo in 2025.
Lombardo has vetoed bill after bill that would have helped workers and renters, including paid family leave, expanded sick leave, wage theft penalties, and tenant protections, while his Gaming Control Board appointee recommended approval of new Station Casinos licenses despite the company's record of labor violations.
As Lombardo runs for re-election in a state built and run by unionized hospitality workers, Culinary Union is demanding to know why the governor stands with Station Casinos and Trump's harmful economic agenda instead of fighting and delivering for the working people who power Nevada's economy.
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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 120,000 Nevadans, the Culinary Union’s members, and their dependents.
The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Latino/a, 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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