Two major casino companies in Las Vegas, MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment Corporation, which respectively employ 24,000 and 12,000 union workers, have been positively responsive to contract proposals on sexual harassment and safety buttons for guest room attendants.
In a survey conducted by UNITE HERE’s Culinary and Bartender Unions of over 10,000 Las Vegas casino workers: 59% of cocktail servers and 27% of hotel housekeepers said they had been sexually harassed by guests, managers or others while on the job. 72% of cocktail servers and 53% of hotel housekeepers said a guest had done something to make them feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
The Culinary Union, Nevada’s largest union, is actively reaching out to Las Vegas tourists and asking them to pledge to not sexually harass Las Vegas casino workers while they are visiting. Other UNITE HERE locals will be leafleting the pledge at major airports around the country. The pledge is available on the Culinary Union’s Vegas Travel Alert website .
The results of the survey and worker concerns led the Culinary and Bartenders Unions to propose stronger safety protections in current contract negotiations for 50,000 workers in 34 casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. The contracts expire midnight May 31, 2018.
“We are pleased on the progress in discussions with the companies about sexual harassment and safety,” said Geoconda Argüello-Kline, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union. “We also want to make sure Las Vegas visitors know they have to respect casino workers and they cannot abuse them.”
“I was carrying a heavy tray full of drinks on the casino floor, and a high roller at the dice game grabbed me by the neck with both of his hands and forced me to kiss him for good luck,” said Debra Jeffries, a cocktail server at Bally’s, a Caesars Entertainment Corporation casino resort. “I have permanent nerve damage from that incident and I live in pain every day.”
“We are here to do our jobs and provide incredible, world-class customer service for our guests,” said Maria Landeros, a guest room attendant at the MGM Grand, MGM Resorts International property. “We are not here to be abused or have people think that just because it’s Las Vegas anything goes.”
Union contracts covering 50,000 union workers expire on June 1, 2018 at 34 casino resorts on the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas, including properties operated by MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment Corporation, Penn National, Golden Entertainment, Boyd Gaming, and other companies.
The hospitality employees who are preparing to go out on strike after June 1 include: Bartenders, guest room attendants, cocktail servers, food servers, porters, bellman, cooks, and kitchen workers employed at the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas.
The Culinary and Bartenders Unions are negotiating new contract language to provide greater measure of security for members including workplace safety, sexual harassment, subcontracting, technology, and immigration. In addition, the Union’s economic proposal seeks to provide workers a fair share of the employers’ enormous anticipated cash flows and Trump tax windfalls.
