Las Vegas: Culinary Union clinches 5-year labor deal with Circus Circus, negotiations continue with 15 other casinos

The Culinary Union has reached a tentative agreement with Circus Circus Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, marking another development in its ongoing labor negotiations with properties across the gambling mecca.

The new 5-year deal is set to impact nearly 700 workers associated with the establishment. The union said a Circus Circus contract ratification vote will be scheduled soon.

The agreement follows the union's organization of an informational picket outside Circa, Golden Nugget, and Fremont. 

BREAKING: The Culinary Union is pleased to announce a Tentative Agreement on a new 5-year contract was just reached w/@CircusVegas for nearly 700 hospitality workers.

Congratulations to the Circus Circus Las Vegas workers on winning the BEST CONTRACT EVER! pic.twitter.com/ayRHjA5FCk

— Culinary Union (@Culinary226) January 27, 2024

Last week, the union successfully secured tentative labor agreements with The Strat and Hilton Grand Vacations. Recent weeks also saw the union striking deals with Waldorf Astoria, The Mirage, and Trump Hotel.

Negotiations are still underway with 15 Las Vegas Strip and Downtown casino properties, encompassing almost 4,000 workers.

Early this month, union members employed by independent operators on the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas casinos had indicated their intention to commence a strike at 5 a.m. on Feb. 2 if tentative agreements were not reached with their employers beforehand. The looming deadline falls just before the scheduled Super Bowl in Las Vegas, slated to take place at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11.

In November, members ratified deals with MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts after threatening to strike several days before the Formula One race, putting pressure on operators to finalize the contract agreement.

Culinary officials have called the new contracts historic for their significant wage increases, guaranteed lowered workloads, technology protections, and career support. Each full-time, non-tipped employee at those companies will get roughly $3-an-hour raise in the first year, and tipped workers will get a raise of roughly $1.50 hourly, leaders previously said.

According to the union leadership, the terms include a 10% wage increase in the first year and a cumulative 32% raise throughout the contract's duration, resulting in an average wage of $37 per hour. The total compensation for employees across the three companies is projected to reach $2 billion over the next five years.