Workers in the Culinary Union are planning to march from T-Mobile Arena along the Las Vegas Strip.
The Culinary Union, based in Las Vegas, anticipates many of its members and their allies will participate in a demonstration along the famous Las Vegas Strip on Thursday, August 10, starting at 5:30 p.m.
More than 200 employees, comprising servers, cooks, bartenders, and dishwashers, who work for T-Mobile Arena under Levy Premium Food Service, have been campaigning for a labor contract since September 2022. Levy handles culinary services at over 200 sporting and entertainment venues across the country, with its base in Chicago.
In a press statement issued on July 26, 2023, 97% of these workers cast their votes to authorize a strike, indicating they earn insufficient wages to cover their living expenses. However, no official strike date has been set as negotiations with Levy are still underway, the union disclosed.
The march is set to commence at the intersection of Park Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard, right next to T-Mobile Arena. The participants will then head up the thoroughfare's two lanes, concluding at the intersection of Paris Drive and the Strip. The Strip is near the iconic Bellagio fountains.
The unions asserted that the rally will precipitate traffic delays, despite the lack of any scheduled event at T-Mobile Arena that evening.
The workers' demands include better salary increases, healthcare and pension safeguards, seniority arrangements, the right to work at other venues, swifter dispute resolutions, and ensuring a single job can support their families adequately.
This will be the second march led by the Culinary Union for its employees employed by Levy. The first one took place on June 29.
The speeches at the event will be delivered by Culinary Union President Diana Valles and Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge.
The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and the Bartenders Union Local 165 jointly represent around 60,000 workers in both Las Vegas and Reno. Their roles cover various industries, including gambling establishments on the Las Vegas Strip, downtown, as well as guest services, cooking, performing duties, and janitorial tasks.
