Culinary Union Fails to Reach Definitive Deal with Virgin Hotels

The dispute between the Culinary Union and Virgin Hotels Las Vegas seems to be at a standstill as the two sides fail to define mutually agreeable terms. While the casino company recently offered a proposal, the union said that the terms were “unacceptable.”

Virgin Hotels and the Culinary Union have been trying to reach an agreement for five months now. As a result, casino and hospitality workers at the property have been without a contract for almost a year.  

Two weeks ago, the gaming company resumed its talks with the union in the wake of a 48-hour protest that saw Virgin Hotels Las Vegas room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, and laundry and kitchen staff set up picket lines outside the company’s property near the famed Vegas Strip.

As a result, the talks were resumed on May 14. Unfortunately, the two sides remain unwilling to budge.

Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Union, slammed Virgin Hotels’ “Last, Best and Final Offer to the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165” as “unacceptable.”

JC Hospitality Isn’t Happy with the Union

The offer was extended to the union by JC Hospitality, Virgin Hotels’ parent company, on May 21. In an official letter, the former company slammed the Culinary Union members for not arguing in good faith and accused them of harming the casino’s team members.

JC Hospitality also accused union officials of coming up with a “take it or leave it demand” and accused the union’s leaders of being uncooperative with the process. The company expressed its desire to put an end to the hostilities and instead focus on Virgin Hotels Las Vegas’ guests and business.

For context, the union demanded guaranteed benefit contributions for the first three years of the contract. However, in its proposal, Virgin Hotels proposed no such increases and set no specific proposals for the remaining two years of the contract, the union said.

Union Members Worry about Trump’s “Cultish” Following

In other news, the Culinary Union just commented on the upcoming elections. As the elections approach, the Culinary Union expressed its concern about Trump’s “cultish support.”  

While there are still seven months remaining, Pappageorge feels as if this time is “an eternity.” On the matter of the elections, he noted that some members are already preparing to support Biden as they did in 2022.

Pappageorge said: “Democrats are going to have to tackle this issue of the economy and prices. The real battle now is going after who we are dealing with here: these big corporations and price gouging. I think you’re going to hear that.”