Strike action set to take place in Las Vegas.
Thousands of casino and hotel employees in Nevada's gambling hub are planning to go on strike in June to protect the jobs of over 50,000 workers. A widespread shutdown would lead to massive losses for Las Vegas.
The strike is a result of a stalemate between unions and casino operators. The contracts of more than 50,000 unionized staff from 30 resorts will expire on May 31st if no deal is reached. The unions are demanding wage increases and job security as the amount of work being done by machines in bars, casinos, and hotel complexes is increasing.
The Culinary Workers Union (CWU), representing 25,000 employees, recently held a vote where 99% favored a work stoppage. This union has been fighting against the increasing automation in Las Vegas for years.
Nevada attracts more than 40 million tourists annually, especially during the summer when most casino-hotel facilities are fully booked. A citywide strike could cause millions in losses for Las Vegas and potentially place the state of Nevada in an emergency state.
Protesting employees have been gathering at the 'Thomas and Mack Center' at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, chanting slogans like "Hey, Caesars, look around, Vegas is a union town" and "No contract, no peace."
Major casino-hotel operators like MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment, organizer of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), could be affected by the strike. Last year, the WSOP had a $50 million revenue and at least $175 million in cash prize pools.
During the 1984 casino workers' strike, which lasted 67 days, the city suffered losses of $1 million a day (excluding the gambling industry). With around 90,000 hotel rooms and 29 million visitors per year, these losses could be much higher now. University of Nevada, Las Vegas professor Michael McCall suggests that a strike would deter many tourists, but it didn't in 1984 due to a nationwide advertising campaign that cost the operators $158,000. He also predicts potential cost-cutting measures for tourists.
More than half of the potentially affected facilities are operated by MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment, with the WSOP set to begin on May 29th and run until July, where the "$1,000,000 Big One for One Drop" tournament is scheduled to end. In preparation for the strike, employees from other states are being transferred to Las Vegas and casino managers reassigned temporarily.
The WSOP has informed its staff about the impending strike, and despite the risks, the event is expected to continue smoothly. They're planning to utilize employees from other states and reassign managers to maintain operations.
The 1984 strike serves as an example of the potential devastation a strike could cause. That year, when approximately 25,000 casino employees went on strike, it cost the city over $1 million a day (excluding the gambling industry) and lasted 67 days.
Today, Las Vegas has significantly more hotel rooms (90,000) and visitors (around 29 million annually). In 2017, there were 42.2 million guests. Experts fear that if the strike happens, tourists would be subjected to cost-cutting measures.
The gathering of thousands of employees daily at the 'Thomas and Mack Center' has become a common sight, with protests supporting "Hey, Caesars, look around, Vegas is a union town" and "No contract, no peace" messages to their employers.
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