After almost 10 weeks of striking, workers at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas have reached an agreement with the casino, bringing an end to one of the longest labor disputes in the city in over a decade. The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, which represent about 700 employees, announced Wednesday that they had ratified a new five-year contract. The deal, which was approved by a unanimous vote, marks the conclusion of a 69-day strike that began on November 15, 2023, after the workers’ previous contract expired in June.

End of a lengthy strike and historic negotiations:

The unions and the hotel-casino issued a joint statement expressing relief that they had moved beyond their contentious negotiations. They indicated that the new agreement paves the way for a productive and cooperative future for all employees at the property. “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 statement read.

The strike, which had gained significant public attention, primarily centered around disputes over pay. The unions had been pushing for terms in line with the generous contracts secured by workers at other off-Strip properties, demanding wage increases and benefits comparable to those enjoyed by their counterparts across the city. This demand for “Las Vegas standards” was largely in response to Virgin’s management, which had resisted the wage hikes, claiming they were financially unsustainable for the hotel’s operations.

According to The Associated Press (AP), despite Virgin’s objections, union spokesperson Bethany Khan confirmed that the contract was finalized in recent days and was unanimously approved by union members during a vote on Wednesday. The new contract likely includes substantial wage increases, similar to the historic pay raises seen at other unionized properties over the past year. The Culinary Workers Union had secured an impressive 32% wage increase over five years in recent deals, which Virgin had initially argued was not financially viable for the business.

Throughout the strike, union leaders emphasized that workers would not accept a “second-class contract.”Ted Pappageorge, the union’s secretary-treasurer and lead negotiator, repeatedly stated that workers at Virgin were fighting for fair compensation, given the high cost of living in Las Vegas and the long hours required in the hospitality industry.

Although Virgin Hotels is not located directly on the Las Vegas Strip, the strike was highly visible to both tourists and locals due to its proximity to the Strip and the Las Vegas airport. For more than two months, union members maintained constant picket lines outside the hotel-casino, drawing attention from visitors and media alike. At one point, workers even blocked traffic to further highlight their cause, resulting in several arrests.

The strike garnered notable public support from various sectors. Comedian John Oliver canceled a performance at Virgin in solidarity with the workers, while the NFL Players Association announced a boycott of the casino. Workers on the picket line included a wide range of employees, from housekeepers to bellhops, all of whom were united in their efforts to secure better pay and working conditions.

“I’m ready to go for as long as I need to,” said Michael Renick, a bartender at Virgin Hotels who had been on strike for weeks. “And I’m pretty sure that’s how everyone else is feeling too.” Many workers expressed their willingness to stay on the picket line indefinitely, even considering second jobs to make ends meet while they fought for their demands.

The larger context of labor strikes in Las Vegas:

This labor dispute is part of a broader wave of union activity across Las Vegas, where workers at various hotels and casinos have recently negotiated for higher wages and improved benefits. The Virgin strike, in particular, is one of the most significant labor actions in the city in recent years, echoing previous strikes, such as the one in 2002 at the Golden Gate Hotel-Casino in downtown Las Vegas.

Bethany Khan noted the symbolic importance of the strike, highlighting how it serves as a reminder of the importance of fair wages and the union’s commitment to securing a living wage for its members.

The strike also underscored the growing tension between labor and management in the city’s hospitality sector, where unions like the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 represent over 60,000 members statewide. Many of these workers are based in Las Vegas, where the cost of living continues to climb, making fair compensation more crucial than ever.

With the strike now over, both sides have expressed a commitment to moving forward in a spirit of cooperation. “We 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,” the joint statement emphasized, Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

The resolution also comes at a time of organizational changes at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. In December 2023, the Nevada Gaming Control Board granted full control of the casino operations to the property’s top two executives, Cliff Atkinson and Chad Konrad. Atkinson, who will assume the role of CEO, and Konrad, who remains the CFO, are now positioned to lead the company into this new chapter following a protracted and challenging negotiation process.