Video

Livestream: How Immigrants Impacted Our Union!

This year, the Culinary Union is celebrating our 90th anniversary and our proud legacy of winning for working families in Nevada. For nearly a century, Culinary Union has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with workers, transforming Nevada’s largest industry into one where hospitality workers have strong contracts, fair wages, and respect on-the-job. On Wednesday, October 29th at 6pm, Culinary Union hosted a "POWERFUL HISTORY PANEL: How Immigrants Impacted Our Union" moderated by Geoconda Argüello-Kline, former Secretary Treasurer of the Culinary Union. Geoconda was born and raised in Managua, Nicaragua and came to the United States of America as a political refugee in 1979 and then moved to the Las Vegas Valley in 1983. Geoconda worked as a guest room attendant at the Fitzgerald’s Hotel (now The D Hotel & Casino) before joining the Culinary Union's organizing team. In February 2022, Geoconda Argüello-Kline retired from the Culinary Union after 32 years of organizing and leading the Culinary Union for 10 years as Secretary-Treasurer. POWERFUL HISTORY PANEL: How Immigrants Impacted Our Union 🗓️ Wednesday, October 29th, 2025 ⏰ 6:00-7:30pm Panelists include:  *Cesar Armenta is a 43-year Culinary Union member who is originally from Mexico. Cesar began his career as a kitchen steward at the Barbary Coast. In the early 1990s, Cesar joined the Culinary Union staff as an organizer and eventually became an Organizing Director before he retired. *Juana Castillo is an immigrant from Nicaragua who arrived in the United States in 1985 and was a Culinary Union member for 40 years: First as a guest room attendant at Circus Circus Casino, then a change person at the Horseshoe, and was a carousel attendant at the Mirage. She then joined the Culinary Union organizing staff where her leadership was key on union organizing drives at the Rio, Aladdin, and Station Casinos before she retired. *Pomme Fritz, originally from Thailand, came to the United States in 1981. Started working as a guest room attendant at the Flamingo Hilton with no prior experience, she became a Culinary Union member in 1985. Pomme speaks 4 different languages and previously served on the Culinary Union Executive Board before she retired after 40 years. *Noemi Bagan is an immigrant from El Salvador who arrived in the United States in 1986. After working as a guest room attendant at the Sahara, she moved to the Mirage, working in housekeeping and uniform control where she participated the 2002 Housekeeping Study as a committee member. A 32-year member, Noemi joined the Culinary Union staff and became an organizer in 2008. *Victor Juarez, who has been a Culinary Union member for 36 years, began his career in the unionized hospitality industry in 1989 when he moved to Las Vegas from Mexico City and has working been at the Circus Circus Casino ever since. He is a proud Shop Steward (who went through one of the first Shop Steward trainings in the 90s) and is a current Culinary Union Executive Board member.  Save the date for the POWERFUL HISTORY PANEL: *Line in the Sand - Strikes in Las Vegas: Thursday, November 20th Generations of workers sacrificed and organized to win the union difference. Culinary Union's history is proof that when workers are united, we win. Join us!