Caesars’ Las Vegas Casino Resort Employees Approve New Contract

Unionized employees at Caesars Entertainment Corp.’s Las Vegas Strip and downtown properties approved Thursday the terms of a brand new five-year contract, thus putting an end to months of negotiations that, in a different case scenario, could have culminated in a citywide employees’ strike.

While no details have been published about the conditions of the new contract, it has emerged that it includes wage gains and a particular language that aims to shield staff members in case the property they work in is sold to another corporation. The contract also addresses sexual harassment in the aftermath of multiple misconduct in the office allegations against disgraced casino boss Steve Wynn.

Under the terms of the new agreement between employees and their employer, guest room attendants will be supplied with wireless apparatus that will make it possible for them to notify security that they feel under threat at due time. Employees asked for improved security in their office after last October’s deadly shooting where a lone gunman opened fire into a bunch of concert-goers from the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay to kill 59 people and injure nearly 500 others.

The contract also includes language that protects Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals beneficiaries in addition to immigrants that reside and work in the USA temporarily under a special protective status. This particular step was negotiated after US President Donald Trump declared that he would seek to annul the Obama administration-promoted DACA immigration policy.

Unionized employees at Caesars’ properties negotiated the new agreement for months. The thing escalated into a citywide vote in May that licensed the local UNITE HERE Culinary and Bartenders Unions to call a citywide strike, when the negotiating parties failed to iron out their differences from the end of May. A tentative agreement was finally reached, which prevented the city’s largest citywide strike in decades from taking place and causing disturbances and even closures of properties.

The negotiations covered 50,000 union members employed at Las Vegas’ casino hotels, including 12,000 employees at Caesars’ properties. All 12,000 are now covered by the contract after yesterday’s approval.

Union members have reached a similar agreement with MGM Resorts International, yet another major operator of casino hotels across Las Vegas.

Commenting on their new contract, employees said that by far it was the best one they had ever reached in the marriage ’s background, especially given that it addresses safety concerns in the aftermath of last October’s catastrophe and the sexual misconduct allegations from Mr. Wynn.