Culinary Workers Union

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Local union in Nevada, U.S.

title: "Culinary Workers Union" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["economy-of-nevada", "hospitality-industry-trade-unions", "trade-unions-established-in-1935", "trade-unions-in-nevada", "unite-here", "1935-establishments-in-nevada"] description: "Local union in Nevada, U.S." topic_path: "general/economy-of-nevada" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culinary_Workers_Union" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Local union in Nevada, U.S. ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox organization"]

FieldValue
nameCulinary Workers Union
location_countryUnited States
affiliationNevada AFL–CIO
members60,000
full_nameCulinary Workers Union, UNITE HERE Local 226
imageCulinaryLocal226Logo.png
founded
parent_organizationUNITE HERE
headquarters5241 Spring Mountain Rd.
Las Vegas, Nevada
key_peopleTed Pappageorge (Secretary-Treasurer)
leader_titlePresident
leader_nameDiana Valles
websiteculinaryunion226.org
::

|name =Culinary Workers Union |location_country=United States |affiliation =Nevada AFL–CIO |members =60,000 |full_name =Culinary Workers Union, UNITE HERE Local 226 |image =CulinaryLocal226Logo.png |founded = |parent_organization=UNITE HERE |dissolved = |merged = |headquarters =5241 Spring Mountain Rd. Las Vegas, Nevada |key_people = Ted Pappageorge (Secretary-Treasurer) |leader_title = President |leader_name = Diana Valles |website =culinaryunion226.org |footnotes = The Culinary Workers Union, UNITE HERE Local 226 is a local union affiliated with UNITE HERE which operates in the Las Vegas metropolitan area of Nevada. Members include a variety of occupations organized along craft lines working in restaurants, hotels and laundries, in the casinos in the Las Vegas metropolitan area and Reno, as well as Harry Reid International Airport and Valley Hospital Medical Center. While most Culinary members work in casinos, the union does not represent dealers and other employees directly providing gaming services.

With 60,000 members, the Culinary is the largest union in the state of Nevada. The union tripled its membership between 1990 and 2020, even as labor union membership declined nationwide in the same time period. According to labor journalist Steven Greenhouse, it has "catapulted thousands of dishwashers, waiters, and hotel housekeepers into the middle class, even though those are poverty-level jobs in many other cities." Despite Nevada's status as a "right-to-work" state, around 97% of bargaining units choose to join the Culinary Union and pay dues. This has led The New Republic to call the Culinary Union "America's greatest modern labor success story."

On September 27, 2023, the union's Las Vegas chapter voted to authorize a strike. A tentative deal was then reached on November 8, 9 and 10, 2023 to prevent a strike. The new five-year contract would then be ratified with 99% approval when voting concluded for Caesar's Entertainment, MGM Resorts and Wynn Resorts workers on November 20, 21 and 22. On January 26, 2024, the Culinary Union also reached tentative agreements on a five-year labor contract with Circus Circus Hotel & Casino Las Vegas and a three-year labor contract with Circus Circus Reno. The strikes ended with workers gaining pay increases of 32% over five years, with the average worker's pay increasing from $26-28 per hour to $35-37 per hour (including benefits).

On September 19, 2024, the Venetian, which was built in 1999 and was the last remaining Las Vegas Strip casino to not have a union, would become the latest Las Vegas Strip resort to approve a Culinary Union labor contract.

History

COVID-19

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative impacts on the Nevada tourist industry, more than 98% of the union's members became unemployed in 2020. During the pandemic, the union provided 18 months of free health insurance to laid-off members and distributed over 475,000 baskets of food to hospitality workers' families in need. It also lobbied for Nevada's Senate Bill 4, which instituted COVID-19 workplace safety regulations for the state's hospitality industry, and Senate Bill 386, which guaranteed laid-off hospitality workers the right to be rehired into their old jobs when casinos and other businesses reopened.

November 2024 Virgin Hotels Las Vegas strike

The Virgin Hotels Las Vegas was a key target for the Culinary Workers Union, A limited, two day strike at the hotel was held from May 10–11, 2024; later that year, on November 15, 2024, 700 workers at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas went on an indefinite, open-ended strike. This became the Culinary Worker's Union's first open-ended strike in Las Vegas since 2002. Unlike the May labor strike, the November 2024 Virgin Hotels Las Vegas strike would remain in effect until a new labor deal could be reached. The Virgin Hotel Las Vegas also opened for people attending the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Starting November 21, 2024, the strike at the Virgin Hotel Las Vegas saw civil disobedience. On the first day of civil disobedience at the hotel, 57 people were arrested for intentionally blocking a road, including union President Diana Valles and Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge. On December 3, 2024, management at the hotel reported that Virgin Hotels Las Vegas was in financial distress, criticizing the Culinary Union's demands. Management also reported that in spite of the ongoing strike, 60% of Culinary Union members employed by the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas were already working at the hotel again.

The strike ended after 69 days, with a contract ratified in January 2025; workers approved a new five-year contract that included a pay increase of 32% over five years, with the average worker's pay increasing from $28 per hour to $37 per hour (including benefits).

Politics

The union is an influential supporter of Democratic politicians and causes in the state of Nevada. Jon Ralston has credited its voter education and turnout operations for Democrats' statewide, state legislative, and congressional victories in 2016, 2018, and 2020, and for maintaining many of these gains in 2022. According to The Nevada Independent, the union is "among the most singularly powerful political forces in Nevada" and is a "key cog in the [Reid] machine." However, the union has endorsed Republicans, notably Lori Rogich.

In January 2008, the union endorsed Illinois Senator Barack Obama over New York Senator Hillary Clinton during the 2008 Democratic caucuses.

In February 2016, the union declined to endorse either Clinton or Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders during the caucuses, and later endorsed Clinton when she became the Democratic presidential nominee. She lost the general election to Donald Trump on November 8, 2016, though she won Nevada.

Yvanna Cancela, the political director for the union, was appointed to the Nevada Senate in 2017, and later became chief of staff to Nevada governor Steve Sisolak.

In December 2018, Bea Duran, a grievance representative for the Culinary Workers, was appointed to the Nevada State Assembly.

In February 2020, the Union once again declined to endorse a candidate for that year's caucuses. Their decision came after it circulated a flyer among members criticizing Sanders and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren's support for single-payer healthcare, which it argued would leave members with worse benefits. Some union leaders reported receiving threats after the flyer was published. Despite this warning, a majority of the union's members caucusing at one casino in Nevada voted for Sanders.

In January 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris visited Las Vegas to meet with members of the culinary union in what was billed as a "celebration" following the negotiation of the five-year contract with casino employers in the city. Harris thanked workers for "making a difference in the lives of people who you may never meet". She was joined by Labor Secretary Julie Su, alongside a host of Nevada politicians who also spoke at the event. Many union members attended and wore bright red T-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts bearing the messages “Vegas Strong” and “One Job Should Be Enough.”

Leadership

Secretary-Treasurers

:1954: Al Bramlet :1977: Ben Schmoutey :1981: Jeff McColl :1987: Jim Arnold :2002: D. Taylor :2012: Geoconda Argüello-Kline :2022: Ted Pappageorge

References

References

  1. "History".
  2. Underthun, Anders: [http://hotel.nibrinternational.no/#post1 Homage to Las Vegas] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-07-24 , NIBR International: The Hotel Worker Project, 22.02.2010)
  3. Website of [http://www.culinaryunion226.org/about.asp Culinary Workers Union Local 226] {{webarchive. link. (2008-01-16)
  4. Noah, Timothy. (2022-02-17). "Inside America's Greatest Modern Labor Success Story".
  5. (September 26, 2023). "Las Vegas hospitality workers overwhelmingly permit union to call strike against hotels, casinos".
  6. Yamat, Rio. (November 9, 2023). "Tentative deal is close with Las Vegas hotel workers union amid strike threat, says MGM's CEO". The Associated Press.
  7. (November 9, 2023). "MGM Resorts reaches labor deal with Las Vegas unions, averts strike". Reuters.
  8. (November 10, 2023). "Wynn Resorts reaches deal with Las Vegas unions, avoiding strike". Reuters.
  9. (21 November 2023). "Las Vegas hospitality unions ratify 5-year contract with Caesars". Reuters.
  10. Ross, McKenna. (November 21, 2023). "MGM workers cast 99 percent of votes for Culinary union contract". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  11. (November 22, 2023). "Wynn Resorts employees overwhelmingly ratify Culinary Union contract". KVVU-TV.
  12. Forrest, Brett. (November 22, 2023). "Breaking down the dollars: How much Culinary Union members make under new contracts". KSNV.
  13. (January 27, 2024). "Culinary Union reaches tentative agreement with Circus Circus Las Vegas". KSNV.
  14. Rosenberg, Mark. (January 27, 2024). "Las Vegas Culinary Union reaches another contract agreement with a Strip property". KVVU-TV.
  15. Stutz, Howard. (January 26, 2024). "Reno's Circus Circus resort agrees to a contract with Culinary". Nevada Independent.
  16. Sebellius, Steve. (September 20, 2024). "Culinary Union celebrates the end of their longest campaign". KTNV.
  17. Tisminezky, Ryan. (September 19, 2024). "100% of Las Vegas Strip resorts recognize labor unions". KLAS.
  18. (2021-12-15). "How the Mighty Culinary Union Survived the Apocalypse".
  19. Hudspeth, Christian. (August 30, 2024). "23 Culinary Union members arrested during picket outside Virgin Hotels Las Vegas". KTNV.
  20. Mateer, Noelle. (May 28, 2024). "Virgin hotel labor dispute remains holdout in Las Vegas".
  21. Yamat, Rio. (November 15, 2024). "Hundreds of hotel workers go on strike at a casino near the Las Vegas Strip". [[Associated Press]].
  22. Zalucki, Rachel. (November 15, 2024). "Las Vegas union begins strike at Virgin Hotels after failed negotiations". KVVU-TV.
  23. Moreno-Meza, Fidel. (November 15, 2024). "Hospitality workers launch strike at Virgin Hotels LasVegas". KSNV.
  24. Khalafi, Shawna. (November 18, 2024). "Las Vegas Strip hotel workers picket in solidarity with Virgin Hotels strike". KVVU-TV.
  25. Doak, Kirvin. (November 22, 2024). "Virgin Hotels Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024 Entertainment Listing". Nevada Business.
  26. Verastigue, Justine. (November 19, 2024). "Las Vegas Culinary Union to host civil disobedience at Virgin Hotels during strike". KVVU-TV.
  27. Ross, McKenna. (November 22, 2024). "57 arrested in Culinary strike at Virgin Las Vegas". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  28. Chouinard, Kyle. (December 3, 2024). "Virgin Hotels says it must protect its financial health as strike in Las Vegas drags on". Las Vegas Sun.
  29. (December 4, 2024). "Culinary Union to bring Virgin Las Vegas strikers to the Nevada Gaming Control Board to provide public comment". Culinary Workers Union Local 226.
  30. Grendzynski, Dave. (December 4, 2024). "Hospitality Workers Taking Contract Fight to Nevada Gaming Control Board". Action Network.
  31. (2025-01-22). "Las Vegas hotel workers union reaches deal with casino to end longest strike in decades".
  32. Hussain, Suhauna. (2025-01-23). "Las Vegas hotel workers union reaches deal with casino to end strike". [[Los Angeles Times]].
  33. (2022-11-20). "In Election '22, the Reid Machine showed it is very much alive".
  34. "Ralston Reports: Culinary Union could serve up a blue Nevada".
  35. (2022-10-27). "Culinary Union canvassers seek to persuade voters one door knock at a time".
  36. (October 15, 2024). "On the Record: Senate District 11 candidates Dallas Harris and Lori Rogich.". The Nevada Independent.
  37. [https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna22575934 Obama gains key labor backing in Nevada], ''MSNBC/The Associated Press'', January 9, 2008
  38. [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/19/us/politics/culinary-workers-union-wont-take-sides-in-nevada-democratic-caucuses.html], ''The New York Times'', February 18, 2016
  39. [https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/270163-reid-powerful-union-come-to-clintons-aid/], ''The Hill'', February 20, 2016
  40. (2017-02-04). "Yvanna Cancela wants to fight for working families as member of Nevada Senate".
  41. (2021-08-09). "Sisolak picks former Sen. Yvanna Cancela as chief of staff".
  42. Jackson, Amanda. (2018-12-19). "Nevada becomes first state with majority female legislature".
  43. (February 13, 2020). "Nevada's powerful Culinary Union won't endorse in Democratic presidential race". CNN.
  44. (February 11, 2020). "In new flyer, Culinary Union warns members Sanders would 'end' their health care if elected president". The Nevada Independent.
  45. (February 14, 2020). "Culinary Union officials face profanity-laced attacks after scorecard says Sanders would 'end' their health care".
  46. (February 22, 2020). "Members Of Nevada's Largest Union Defied Their Leadership To Support Bernie Sanders". BuzzFeed News.
  47. (January 7, 2024). "Kamala Harris Returns to Las Vegas to Thank Casino Workers".
  48. (January 4, 2024). "Harris praises Culinary on contracts in Las Vegas visit".
  49. (2006). "STRATEGIC INTEGRATION, CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION, AND COMPREHENSIVE CONTRACT CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVENESS: A CASE STUDY OF THE CULINARY WORKERS UNION, HERE LOCAL 226'S 2002 COMPREHENSIVE CONTRACT CAMPAIGN". Cornell University.
  50. (February 15, 2022). "Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Culinary Union's Argüello-Kline Retires After 32 Years of Fighting for Union Members in Nevada".
  51. "Ted Pappageorge".

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economy-of-nevadahospitality-industry-trade-unionstrade-unions-established-in-1935trade-unions-in-nevadaunite-here1935-establishments-in-nevada