Above photo: Members of the Culinary Workers Union, Local 226, walk a picket line at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas before a civil disobedience protest Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. Steve Marcus.
The longest strike in decades by Culinary Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 is coming to an end after 69 days.
A vote today among workers to ratify a five-year contract with Virgin Hotels Las Vegas was unanimous, according to a social media post from the Culinary Union. The post did not provide details about the new contract.
Union officials had repeatedly said they were seeking a contract similar to recent multi-year extensions agreed to with Strip resorts. Those deals called for wage and benefit increases, enhanced safety protection for workers, and workload reduction.
“Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and the Culinary and Bartenders Unions are pleased to be moving past their contract negotiations as each looks forward to fostering a positive and collaborative working relationship for the benefit of all team members at the property,” the union and off-Strip hotel-casino said in a joint statement.
Union members had been working without a contract since June 1, 2023. About 700 workers were on strike, the union said.
The deal came after weeks of inactivity, with Virgin Hotels reporting as recently as last week that the Culinary hadn’t returned to the negotiating table.
AVN, an adult entertainment trade show that started at the resort today, may have been the difference maker. A number of models and larger companies, such as Pornhub, had vowed to boycott the event because of the strike.
The previous proposal from Virgin Hotels amounted to a $.30 increase to hourly wages each year of the five-year contract.
When the strike started in November, Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge called the offer a “slap in the face.” It was the union’s first open-ended strike in 22 years.
“Parties are committed to the resolution of our dispute and to maintaining a union standard at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas that provides for its team members’ families and fosters a better community for all,” today’s joint statement said.