57 arrested in Culinary strike at Virgin Las Vegas

Nearly 60 Culinary Local 226 members were arrested Thursday in a “civil disobedience” demonstration in front of a striking hotel-casino.

Hospitality workers at Virgin Hotels, a resort-casino located about a mile east of the Las Vegas Strip, were arrested for blocking traffic around 6 p.m. when about 57 people, including Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge and President Diana Valles, sat on Paradise Road in a nonviolent protest. The display was meant to call attention to their strike, now on its seventh day.

Culinary and Bartenders Local 165 members at the property said they will strike until the negotiations are resolved. The labor group asked customers and community allies not to cross the picket line. Workers say they’re seeking raises and that management’s economic proposals have not been sufficient.

The company has held more than a year without a contract — now it’s time for Virgin to step up!” Culinary said in an X post.

The labor dispute comes after months of on-and-off negotiations over the five-year contract for Virgin’s estimated 700 non-gaming Culinary members and one other limited strike. The contract expired in June 2023.

It threatens to disrupt and distract from operations during the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix starting that night — or longer. About half a mile from the Grand Prix Plaza, it serves as a designated ride-share drop-off zone, has sponsorship deals with the event and is hosting promotional events.

Hotel management called Culinary’s pre-planned arrests “media stunt theatrics” ahead of the demonstration and called for union leadership to let its members vote on their most recent economic proposal. About two dozen members were arrested in a similar protest in August.“It is disappointing that Culinary Union leaders are prepared to spend their own members’ resources on fake arrests, rather than engaging in constructive good faith bargaining — something they have not yet done,” part of a Wednesday statement from Virgin Hotels read.

Negotiations are still stalled with no meetings scheduled as of Thursday, Culinary spokesperson Bethany Khan said.