Caesars Entertainment and the Culinary Union Reach Provisional Accord
Representatives from the Culinary Union declared on Wednesday a preliminary agreement for a new five-year contract with the nine Las Vegas properties owned by Caesars Entertainment. This announcement is only two days before the strict deadline for a potential strike by hospitality workers.
The roughly 10,000 members of the rank-and-file union need to vote on this deal for it to become official. This decision came after 20 uninterruptible hours of confidential negotiations between the two sides. They have been in negotiations for about seven months.
Additional specifics on the prospective agreement should be revealed later on Wednesday.
Earlier, the Culinary Union disclosed they were seeking wage increments, lessened workloads, greater safety, job protection from automation, and recall rights in their negotiations, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Strike Threat Persists
Currently, two other casino companies, Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts, have yet to strike an accord with the union. 25,000 Culinary Union members at these properties still aim to strike on Friday if a proper agreement isn't finalized.
As early as this week, the union members were preparing picket signs as they prepared for the possible work disruption.
Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge recently mentioned that there were negotiations ongoing, but he didn't hint towards a probable settlement with Caesars Entertainment. The news of the settlement surfaced a few days before the anxiously awaited Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, happening between November 16 and 19.
Caesars Entertainment CEO Tom Reeg expressed optimism during his earnings call last week that new deals could be reached with the union members.
He stated, "We have been successful as a company after the merger, post-pandemic, and our employees should and will reap the benefits." Reeg added, "So, you should anticipate that when we finalize a contract, it'll be the biggest boost our employees have experienced in the past four decades of dealing with the Culinary Union."
35,000 hospitality workers in Las Vegas have been working without a contract since September. Almost 95% of them once authorized a strike.
Detroit Strike Still In Effect
Meanwhile, in Detroit, 3,700 workers have been on strike at three gaming establishments: Hollywood Casino at Greektown, MGM Grand Detroit, and MotorCity Casino Hotel, since October 17. Workers are urging people to avoid entering these three casinos.
One of the main points in contention is healthcare costs, with the management asking workers to contribute $40 to healthcare premiums. The previous offer was $60. The union desires workers to continue without paying any premium, as per a video posted by the United Auto Workers on X.
Lately, the union also revealed that management offered workers a $1.95 per hour increment during the contract's first year. The union wants the hourly boost to be $3.25.
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Source: www.casino.org
