submitted by Bethany Khan, Culinary Union 226
UPDATE: The march has been changed to a rally.
BROLL from Thursday, August 10, 2023 click HERE
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Culinary Union to host a march with thousands of hospitality workers on the Las Vegas Strip as Levy Premium Food Service workers, who work at the T-Mobile Arena, have been pushing for a union contract since September 2022.
Cocktail servers, food servers, banquet servers, dishwashers, cooks, and bartenders who work at T-Mobile Arena have voted 97% to authorize a strike against Levy Premium Food Service. The strike vote was held at the Culinary Union on July 26, 2023 and occurred as workers say their jobs aren’t enough to keep up with the cost of living. The Culinary and Bartenders Unions represent 200 hospitality workers, employed by Levy Premium Food Service workers, who work at T-Mobile Arena.
WHO:
*Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for Culinary Union
*Diana Valles, President of the Culinary Union
*Levy Premium Food Service workers employed at the T-Mobile Arena who are Culinary Union members
*Culinary Union members from the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas
*Bartenders Union Local 165 members
*Community and labor allies
WHAT: Thousands of Culinary Union members will march together down Las Vegas Boulevard in unity in support of Levy workers.
WHEN: Thursday, August 10, 2023 at 5:30pm
WHERE: March begins at the corner of Park Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard, heading North down two lanes of Las Vegas Boulevard to Paris Drive and Las Vegas Boulevard. There will be a brief rally at the end of the march.
WHY:
Culinary Union to host a march with thousands of hospitality workers on the Las Vegas Strip as Levy Premium Food Service workers, who work at the T-Mobile Arena, have been pushing for a union contract since September 2022. Heavy traffic delays are anticipated as thousands are expected to march down Las Vegas Boulevard across two lanes.
Cocktail servers, food servers, banquet servers, dishwashers, cooks, and bartenders who work at T-Mobile Arena have voted 97% to authorize a strike against Levy Premium Food Service. The strike vote was held at the Culinary Union on July 26, 2023 and occurred as workers say their jobs aren’t enough to keep up with the cost of living.
Workers are negotiating for fair wage increases, health care and pension benefit protections, seniority, opportunity to work in other venues, faster resolution to grievances, and so that one job is enough to provide for their families.
The Culinary and Bartenders Unions, which are now authorized to call a strike if a contract has not been reached, have not yet set a date for a strike as negotiations are on-going with Levy Premium Food Service. In a major step towards going out on strike, workers have been preparing for a strike by making strike picket signs and signing up for strike line shifts and benefits.
The Culinary and Bartenders Unions represent 200 hospitality workers, employed by Levy Premium Food Service workers, who work at T-Mobile Arena.
ABOUT CULINARY UNION:
Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. UNITE HERE represents 300,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America.
The Culinary Union, through the Culinary Health Fund, is one of the largest healthcare consumers in the state. The Culinary Health Fund is sponsored by the Culinary Union and Las Vegas-area employers. It provides health insurance coverage for over 145,000 Nevadans, the Culinary Union’s members and their dependents.
The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Latinx/Black/AAPI/immigrant organization with members who come from 178 countries and speak over 40 different languages. We are proud to have helped over 18,000 immigrants become American citizens and new voters since 2001 through our affiliate, The Citizenship Project.
The Culinary Union has a diverse membership which is 55% women and 45% immigrants. The demographics of Culinary Union members are approximately: 54% Latinx, 18% white, 15% Asian, 12% Black, and less than 1% Indigenous Peoples.
Culinary Union members work as: Guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry and kitchen workers. The Culinary Union has been fighting and winning for working families in Nevada for 88 years.
BROLL from the last action on the Strip CulinaryUnion226.org
