Strike at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas Begins Amid Contract Negotiations

Workers Demand Better Conditions

In the early hours of Friday, a significant number of hotel staff at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas initiated an indefinite strike after enduring protracted negotiations for a new labor contract. This action marks a historic moment, as it is the first open-ended strike by the Culinary Workers Union in the last 22 years. As the largest labor union in Nevada, the Culinary Workers Union boasts a membership of around 60,000 individuals. The union announced the strike over social media.

Earlier this year, these workers briefly left their posts for a period of 48 hours in a bid to sway Virgin Hotels into agreeing to a new five-year contract that would feature enhanced wages and improved benefits. Employees involved in the strike include housekeepers, cocktail and food servers, porters, and bellhops, who gathered outside the hotel-casino, which was previously known as the Hard Rock Las Vegas.

Backdrop of Contract Disputes

This strike emerges precisely one year after the hospitality sector on the Las Vegas Strip narrowly averted a major labor disruption during a weekend where the city was gearing up for its inaugural Formula One race. A last-minute agreement was reached just before the union’s strike deadline, providing hospitality workers with a significant 32% pay increase over the contract’s duration, including a 10% raise in the first year.

Following these successful negotiations last November, the Culinary Union swiftly established similar contracts for its members across large hotel-casinos on the Strip, in downtown areas, and off-Strip properties—yet Virgin Hotels remains the exception. The contracts covering the Strip employ over 40,000 workers.

Union’s Stance on Wage Improvements

Bethany Khan, a representative of the Culinary Union, labeled Virgin Hotels as the “final holdout,” referencing the expired contract that covered approximately 700 of its employees in June. The union believes that Virgin Hotels is unwilling to offer any wage increases during the first three years of a new five-year agreement.

Merla Paramo, a casino porter and union member, expressed her frustrations, stating, “We are worth more than zero wage increases.” In a recent statement, Virgin Hotels claimed to have proposed some incremental wage increases before the fourth year of a new contract. However, this offer was turned down by the union, which did not reveal the specifics of the hotel’s proposal.

Virgin Hotels’ Commitment and Possible Impacts

The statement from Virgin Hotels emphasized the importance of their team members’ well-being and their commitment to achieving a favorable and sustainable resolution for both parties involved.

While this strike is not as extensive as the potential walkouts anticipated last year on the Strip, it could still lead to notable inconveniences due to Virgin Hotels’ prime location. The hotel-casino, which features 1,500 rooms, is situated close to the Strip and serves as a common transit route for visitors traveling from the city’s international airport.

The hotel is located on a well-known site where a massive neon guitar sign stood for decades before its removal in 2017, following the closure of the Hard Rock. The last strike organized by the Culinary Union took place back in 2002, lasting for 10 days at the Golden Gate hotel-casino located in downtown Las Vegas.