Culinary Union and Cosmopolitan Casino Workers Call on New Owner to Retain All Employees Las Vegas, NV – Culinary Workers Union Local 226, which represents 2,000 workers at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel and casino, is calling on the company to retain all employees after it is sold. The union is also calling on the company to settle a fair collective bargaining agreement as soon as possible. The luxury resort on the Las Vegas Strip is being sold to an affiliate of the Blackstone Group. “We look forward to achieving a positive relationship with the Cosmopolitans new ownership,” said Geoconda Argüello-Kline, head of the Culinary Union. “The labor dispute has been about whether workers can have a contract with the opportunity to provide for their families. The Blackstone Group owns the Hilton hotel company, which is one of our unions largest employers. We will work tirelessly to ensure workers are retained during this transition.” “Many of us have worked the Cosmopolitan since day one,” said Michelle Lisher, a beverage server at the Strip resort. “Our hard work and dedication have made the Cosmopolitan a top destination and have made its food and beverage and hotel operations very profitable. We deserve to keep our jobs when the new owner takes over.” Added Catherine Balotro, a guest room attendant at the resort: “We want to have decent wages, good benefits, and fair workloads, and we want to have job security against outsourcing and ownership changes.” The Cosmopolitan has been the site of the only labor dispute on the Las Vegas Strip over the last two years, which has led to many large demonstrations, picket lines with thousands of workers, and civil disobedience protests where hundreds were arrested. Culinary Workers Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent over 55,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. UNITE HERE represents 270,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America. culinaryunion226.org/news/press/culinary-union-and-cosmopolitan-casino-workers-call-on-new-owner-to-retain-all-employees
Posted on: Fri, 16 May 2014 00:17:54 +0000