Union Strike Countered by Virgin in Response to Culinary Dispute prior to Vegas Grand Prix
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas Braces for Potential Strike as Negotiations Reach a Critical Point
Tensions are running high at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas as the Culinary Union has announced a planned strike, scheduled for Friday, November 15. The union represents around 700 staff members at the resort, and the strike is over Virgin's refusal to provide wage increases for the first three years of a 5-year contract.
The resort's management has accused union negotiators of take-it-or-leave-it bargaining and inflexibility. Virgin Hotels Las Vegas claims that the Culinary Union did not respond to its request to put counter proposals to a vote until November 8.
The Culinary Union's Secretary-Treasurer, Ted Pappageorge, has stated that the staff "deserve fair wage increases and they are organized and ready to strike for it." The union has been warning of the strike risk and contract dispute at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas for months.
This is not the first time Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has faced conflicts with the Culinary Union. The resort experienced a two-day strike by its union members in May, which management accused the union of not negotiating "in good faith" and misinforming the press and Virgin employees.
Despite the potential disruption, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is confident that its operations will remain unaffected by any future strike. The resort's management has stated that the May strike did not affect the resort, and they seem to be negotiating from a position of strength heading into the last-ditch negotiations scheduled for Thursday.
The Culinary Union has used the Vegas Grand Prix as leverage against casino operators before. The Grand Prix weekend, which includes a free anti-F1 party at a Vegas strip club, is scheduled for Nov. 21-23. However, the union has branded this as unacceptable.
As negotiations continue, both parties are committed to finding a fair resolution to avoid the planned strike. The key takeaway is that the strike at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas ended in July 2025 with a new contract approved by Culinary Union members. However, ongoing dissatisfaction remains about pay raises from Virgin Hotels management, but no current strike or work stoppage is reported as of late July 2025.
The casino-culture in Las Vegas, as represented by Virgin Hotels, is once again facing a significant challenge with potential strikes looming, such as the one scheduled on November 15. The ongoing dispute between Virgin Hotels and the Culinary Union revolves around the refusal to provide wage increases for the first three years of a 5-year contract.
The tension between Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and the Culinary Union has a long history, with previous strikes and disputes over fair compensation for staff, revealing a continuous struggle in the casino-and-gambling landscape of Las Vegas.
