All major Las Vegas Strip casinos are now unionized in historic labor
victory
[August 04, 2025] By
RIO YAMAT
LAS VEGAS (AP) — When Susana Pacheco accepted a housekeeping job at a
casino on the Las Vegas Strip 16 years ago, she believed it was a step
toward stability for her and her 2-year-old daughter.
But the single mom found herself exhausted, falling behind on bills and
without access to stable health insurance, caught in a cycle of low pay
and little support. For years, she said, there was no safety net in
sight — until now.
For 25 years, her employer, the Venetian, had resisted organizing
efforts as one of the last holdouts on the Strip, locked in a prolonged
standoff with the Culinary Workers Union. But a recent change in
ownership opened the Venetian’s doors to union representation just as
the Strip’s newest casino, the Fontainebleau, was also inking its first
labor contract.
The historic deals finalized late last year mark a major turning point:
For the first time in the Culinary Union's 90-year history, all major
casinos on the Strip are unionized. Backed by 60,000 members, most of
them in Las Vegas, it is the largest labor union in Nevada. Experts say
the Culinary Union’s success is a notable exception in a national
landscape where union membership overall is declining.
“Together, we’ve shown that change can be a positive force, and I’m
confident that this partnership will continue to benefit us all in the
years to come," Patrick Nichols, president and CEO of the Venetian, said
shortly after workers approved the deal.
Pacheco says their new contract has already reshaped her day-to-day
life. The housekeeper no longer races against the clock to clean an
unmanageable number of hotel suites, and she’s spending more quality
time with her children because of the better pay and guaranteed days
off.
“Now with the union, we have a voice,” Pacheco said.
Union strength is fading nationally
These gains come at a time when union membership nationally is at an
all-time low, and despite Republican-led efforts over the years to curb
union power. About 10% of U.S. workers belonged to a union in 2024, down
from 20% in 1983, the first year for which data is available, according
to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.
President Donald Trump in March signed an executive order seeking to end
collective bargaining for certain federal employees that led to union
leaders suing the administration. Nevada and more than two dozen other
states now have so-called “right to work” laws that let workers opt out
of union membership and dues. GOP lawmakers have also supported changes
to the National Labor Relations Board and other regulatory bodies,
seeking to reduce what they view as overly burdensome rules on
businesses.
Ruben Garcia, professor and director of the workplace program at the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas law school, said the Culinary Union's
resilience stems from its deep roots in Las Vegas, its ability to adapt
to the growth and corporatization of the casino industry, and its long
history of navigating complex power dynamics with casino owners and
operators.
He said the consolidation of casinos on the Las Vegas Strip mirrors the
dominance of the Big Three automakers in Detroit. A few powerful
companies — MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn
Resorts — now control most of the dozens of casinos along Las Vegas
Boulevard.
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Cars drive along the Las Vegas Strip, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Las
Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
 “That consolidation can make things
harder for workers in some ways, but it also gives unions one large
target," Garcia said.
That dynamic worked in the union's favor in 2023,
when the threat of a major strike by 35,000 hospitality workers with
expired contracts loomed over the Strip. But a last-minute deal with
Caesars narrowly averted the walkout, and it triggered a domino
effect across the Strip, with the union quickly finalizing similar
deals for workers at MGM Resorts and Wynn properties.
The latest contracts secured a historic 32% bump in pay over the
life of the five-year contract. Union casino workers will earn an
average $35 hourly, including benefits, by the end of it.
The union's influence also extends far beyond the casino floor. With
its ability to mobilize thousands of its members for canvassing and
voter outreach, the union's endorsements are highly coveted,
particularly among Democrats, and can signal who has the best shot
at winning working-class votes.
The union has — and still — faces resistance
The union's path hasn't always been smooth though. Michael Green, a
history professor at UNLV, noted the Culinary Union has long faced
resistance.
“Historically, there have always been people who are anti-union,”
Green said.
Earlier this year, two food service workers in Las Vegas filed
federal complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing
the union of deducting dues despite their objections to union
membership. It varies at each casino, but between 95 to 98% of
workers opt in to union membership, according to the union.
“I don’t think Culinary Union bosses deserve my support,” said one
of the workers, Renee Guerrero, who works at T-Mobile Arena on the
Strip. “Their actions since I attempted to exercise my right to stop
dues payments only confirms my decision.”
But longtime union members like Paul Anthony see things differently.
Anthony, a food server at the Bellagio and a Culinary member for
nearly 40 years, said his union benefits — free family health
insurance, reliable pay raises, job security and a pension — helped
him to build a lasting career in the hospitality industry.
“A lot of times it is an industry that doesn't have longevity," he
said. But on the Strip, it's a job that people can do for “20 years,
30 years, 40 years.”
Ted Pappageorge, the union's secretary-treasurer and lead
negotiator, said the union calls this the “Las Vegas dream.”
“It’s always been our goal to make sure that this town is a union
town," he said.
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