Unionized Caesars Workers In Vegas OK Contract

AP Photo / Isaac Brekken – Vegas Culinary Strike
In this May 22, 2018, file photo, Culinary Union members exit a university arena after voting on whether to authorize a strike in Las Vegas.

Twelve-thousand unionized workers at the casino-resorts operated by Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas have a new contract.

Housekeepers, food servers, bartenders, cooks and other members of the Culinary Union on Thursday approved the new five-year agreement in two voting sessions.

The agreement includes language that protects the workers’ rights in the event that the property is sold.

It covers workers on the Las Vegas Strip, including Caesars Palace and Harrah’s, and the off-Strip Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.

Harrah’s food court cook Olee Stewart says he is ecstatic about the new contract. The 57-year-old says the wage increases will allow him to fulfill his goal of paying off his mortgage before he retires.

The union is now negotiating contracts with smaller companies that operate 15 properties on the Las Vegas Strip and in downtown Las Vegas.