A labor dispute in Las Vegas is threatening to disrupt operations at a number of casinos along the strip, where Formula 1 is set to race in two weeks’ time. Although a strike has not yet been launched, the roughly 35,000 members of the Culinary Workers Union have approved the measure if a contract deal can’t be reached by November 10.
That’s just five days before the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend. Although a strike wouldn’t necessarily disrupt the on-track action, the union’s members work as servers, cooks, and bartenders at the casinos that line the track.
Ted Pappageorge, the union’s chief contract negotiator, is urging ticket holders for the Grand Prix to support workers if they decide to go on strike, reports the Associated Press. He is asking F1 fans not to travel to Las Vegas, and not to cross picket lines.
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Estimates suggest that 30,000 people plan to travel to Las Vegas for the Grand Prix, reports Forbes. Even if they choose to cross the picket lines, the weekend would be seriously impacted by a strike, and its effect of food services.
However, the union says it hopes it doesn’t come to a strike. Negotiations have been going on since April, and the November 10 deadline was chosen after a previous round of unsuccessful contract talks with three casino companies. A strike would impact a total of 18 properties in Las Vegas, including the Aria, Bellagio, Excalibur, MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, and more.
The union is pushing for “largest wage increases ever negotiated” in its history, a spokesperson said. However, its demands are not entirely focused on pay. Hospitality workers are also negotiating for better job security and safer working conditions.
“We don’t feel safe on the casino floor,” Leslie Lilla, a Bellagio cocktail waitress, said. “We need enhanced security. We need emergency buttons in our service bars. We want to be protected, as well as for our guests.”
