About 35,000 Las Vegas casino workers are preparing to go on strike before the upcoming Formula 1 weekend if their demands are not met. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Great weekend for the city
The Formula 1 (F1) Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend will be one of the biggest events ever held in the city. Preparations have been going on for a long time as the organizers try to get the track right and set up the stands for the fans.
The process has not been without its hiccups, with construction workers reportedly working in unsafe conditions as they race to get everything done on time. One worker even lost his life while building a VIP platform at the Bellagio Fountains. The traffic disruption was frustrating for local workers and there were disputes with companies over racing license fees.
There has been pressure for better contracts since April
The latest stumbling block is a potential strike by the city’s 35,000 casino workers. Culinary and bartender unions have been pressing for improved contracts since April and are prepared to strike if they do not get a satisfactory result. Unions have set a strike deadline of November 10 if their demands are not met, just days before the opening ceremonies of the Formula 1 race on November 15.
Possible disturbance
The strike will have a major impact on properties across Las Vegas, as workers from 18 casinos are part of the union. This includes properties like Caesars Palace, MGM Grand, and Bellagio.
Casinos are already bracing for potential disruption — MGM Resorts has reportedly asked its employees to step in to replace striking workers, and Caesars is offering $100,000 in prizes to employees who work through the Formula 1 weekend.
People have spent a lot of money booking rooms and tickets in anticipation of the race weekend; More than 100,000 people are expected to visit Las Vegas for the race during the second slowest weekend of the year for the city.
This will be the third Formula 1 race held in Las Vegas. The last one was in 1982.
Nevada is expected to benefit from an economic impact of approximately $1.2 billion from hosting the event. The popularity of Formula 1 in the United States has increased in recent years as a result of its great popularity Driving to survive Netflix series.
Union demands
The unions have been negotiating with Wynn Resorts, Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International for about seven months. Its members have already organized marches in August and October, the last of which led to the arrest of 58 workers. They overwhelmingly approved a citywide strike in September if it was worth it. This will be the first time these unions have gone on strike since 1991.
“Biggest pay increases ever negotiated.”
While the unions have not released any specific numbers regarding the wage increase they are seeking, union spokeswoman Bethany Khan told the newspaper: News agency They would be “the largest pay increases ever negotiated.”
Other demands include protection against emerging technology that may threaten jobs and implementing better safety policies. Some progress has been made in negotiations on new five-year contracts, but Culinary Union Treasurer Ted Papageorge said they were still “millions of dollars apart.”
