Just in time for the big race, Virgin Las Vegas is looking at a work stoppage. But hey, what would F1 be without drama? You may recall this is a pretty similar scenario to what happened just before last year’s Grand Prix race, and again just before the Super Bowl, when thousands of culinary workers threatened to walk off the job just before the event. So, it looks like the playbook is being followed.
Unionized employees are planning a walkout this Friday, potentially impacting Virgin Las Vegas staff levels just days before the high-profile Las Vegas Grand Prix. Representatives from Culinary Local 226 and hotel management are scheduled to meet on Thursday for negotiations, though tensions are high as both parties remain divided over wages and contract terms.
Virgin Hotels acknowledged the looming strike deadline in a Tuesday statement, expressing a commitment to reaching a “fair resolution” during the talks. However, the hotel claimed that union negotiators have neither put its recent proposals to a vote nor responded to prior offers.
There was also criticism of the union’s negotiation tactics, calling them it a “’take it or leave it’ approach” and arguing that the their demands are “not economically feasible” for their off-Strip location, which could negatively impact employees in the long run. If no agreement is reached on Thursday, the union plans to begin the strike at 5 a.m. Friday.
Union officials dismissed the statements of Virgin Las Vegas, claiming the offers made have not met the improvements they’re seeking “Workers at Virgin Las Vegas deserve fair wage increases, and they are organized and ready to strike for it,” said a union representative representing roughly 700 employees at the property.
This is not the first time the union has had a confrontation with the hotel. Their members staged a two-day strike in May, and some two dozen members were arrested for trespassing after a sit-down protest at the site back in August.