By Associated Press, Rio Yamatt
LAS VEGAS (AP) — When she accepted a housekeeping job at a casino on the Las Vegas Strip 16 years ago, she believed it was a step towards stability for her and her two-year-old daughter.
However, single mothers themselves were exhausted, lagging behind their bills, and were caught up in a low-paying and almost support cycle without having to take out stable health insurance. For years, she said she hadn’t seen the safety net until now.
For 25 years, her employer, the Venetian, resisted organizing efforts as one of the strip’s final holdouts, locked up in a long-term standoff with the Culinary Workers Union. However, recent ownership changes have opened the door to Venetian union representatives, as Fontainebleau, the strip’s latest casino, also had its first labor contract.
The historic deal, which was completed late last year, marks a major turning point. For the first time in the 90-year history of the Culinary Union, all major casinos on the strip have been unified. It is supported by 60,000 members, mostly in Las Vegas, and is Nevada’s largest union.
Union success on the strip is a notable exception to the national landscape, where union membership is declining overall. And this summer, the contract added security to workers as city tourism fell. According to the Las Vegas Convention Association, visits fell 11% in June compared to a year ago, and strip occupancy also fell from 88% to 82%.
“Together, we have shown that change can be a positive force and we are confident that this partnership will benefit all of us in the next few years,” said Patrick Nichols, president and CEO of Venetian, shortly after workers approved the deal.
Pacheco says their new contracts are already changing daily lives. Housekeepers do not compete with clocks to clean out unmanageable numbers of hotel suites. She spends more quality time with her kids for better pay and guaranteed dates.
“Now there’s a voice in the union,” Pacheco said.
The strength of the union is declining nationwide
The Cooking Coalition sees profits despite efforts to curb Republican-led union rights. Approximately 10% of US workers belonged to the Union in 2024, down from 20% in 1983, the first year data was available, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March calling for an end to collective bargaining for certain federal employees that led to union leaders suing the administration. Nevada and more than 20 other states have so-called “right to work” laws that allow workers to opt out of union membership and membership fees. GOP lawmakers also support changes to the National Labor Relations Commission and other regulatory bodies, calling for a reduction in what they consider to be an overly burdensome rule for businesses.
Reuben Garcia, professor and director of the workplace program at the University of Nevada’s Las Vegas Law School, said the resilience of the Culinary Union stems from its deep roots in Las Vegas, its ability to adapt to the growth and corporations of the casino industry, and its long history of navigating the complex power dynamics between casino owners and operators.
He said the integration of casinos on the Las Vegas strip reflects the control of three Detroit automakers. Several powerful companies, MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts, currently manage most of the dozens of casinos along Las Vegas Boulevard.
“That integration can make things difficult for workers in a way, but it also gives a big target for unions,” Garcia said.
That dynamic came in 2023 when the threat of a massive strike by 35,000 hospitality workers was signing expired contracts. However, last-minute deal with Caesar narrowly avoided the strike, which caused a domino effect throughout the strip, and the union quickly confirmed similar deals between workers at MGM Resort and Wynn’s property.
The latest contract secured a historic 32% wage over the life of the five-year contract. By the end of Union Casino workers earn every hour, an average of $35, including benefits.
The union’s impact is far beyond casino floors. With its canvas and ability to mobilize thousands of members for voter outreach, union support is highly coveted, especially among Democrats, allowing it to signal those who have the best shots in working-class votes.
The union faces resistance
However, the union’s path has not always been smooth. UNLV history professor Michael Green noted that the culinary coalition has long faced resistance.
“Historically, there have always been anti-union people,” Green said.
Earlier this year, two Las Vegas foodservice workers filed a federal complaint with the National Labor Relations Commission, denounced the deduction fee despite the union’s objections to its members. It changes at each casino, but 95-98% of workers choose to join union membership, according to the union.
“I don’t think the boss of Culinary Union deserves my support,” said Lenny Guerrero, one of the workers at T-Mobile Arena on the Strip. “Since I tried to exercise my right to stop paying dues, their actions only confirm my decision.”
But longtime union members like Paul Anthony see things differently. Anthony, Bellagio’s food server and culinary member for nearly 40 years, said his union’s profits have helped him build a lasting career in the hospitality industry.
These benefits include free family health insurance, reliable pay increases, pensions and employment coverage. Anthony, 57, said the union helped him survive the pandemic and current economic downturns like the current dip in tourism. Their contracts guarantee job protection based on seniority and prioritize layoff employees for up to three years if the job becomes available later.
“In many cases, it’s an industry that doesn’t have longevity,” he said. But with the strip, it’s a job that people can do in “20, 30, 40 years.”
Ted Pappgourge, the union’s secretary accountant and chief negotiator, said the union calls it “a Las Vegas dream.”
“It has always been our goal to make sure this town is a Union town,” he said.
Original issue: August 4, 2025, 2:31pm EDT
