Virgin Hotels Las Vegas faces strike deadline ahead of Formula One Grand Prix

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas may face a walkout by unionized employees this Friday, threatening its staffing levels just before the high-profile Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix next week. Union representatives from Culinary Local 226 and hotel management are scheduled to meet for negotiations on Thursday, but tensions remain high as both sides grapple with wage and contract terms.

In a statement on Tuesday, Virgin Hotels management acknowledged the looming strike deadline and expressed a commitment to finding a “fair resolution” in the upcoming negotiations. However, the hotel alleged that union negotiators have failed to put its recent proposals to a vote or respond to previous offers.

“Although it committed at the bargaining table to provide those responses as soon as possible, it did not reach out to us until November 8 regarding a return to the table or any other potentially constructive steps toward resolution,” the statement read.

Management also criticized the union’s approach to the discussions, describing it as “'take it or leave it’ bargaining” and asserting that the union’s demands are “not economically viable for our off-Strip property” and could adversely affect hotel employees overall.

Union officials have dismissed Virgin’s characterization of the situation, countering that the hotel’s proposals have fallen short of the improvements they are seeking. According to Culinary Local 226 Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge, Virgin’s latest offer includes no wage increases for the first three years of a proposed five-year contract, a proposal the union finds unacceptable.

“Workers at Virgin Las Vegas deserve fair wage increases, and they are organized and ready to strike for it,” Pappageorge said in a statement. The union, representing roughly 700 employees at the property located east of the Strip on Harmon Avenue, has been pushing for wage increases and other contract benefits that would align with those at larger properties along the Strip.

If Thursday’s negotiations fail, the union has set 5 a.m. Friday as the start time for the strike. The potential work stoppage would take place just days before the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which runs from November 21 to 23 and is expected to draw thousands of international visitors.

The union has a history of taking action at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. In May, members staged a two-day strike, and in August, about two dozen members were arrested for trespassing after a sit-down protest at the site.

Despite these actions, hotel management maintains that its operations continued smoothly during previous strikes and expressed confidence they could remain unaffected by any future work stoppages.

The timing of this dispute is similar to a strategy the union employed last year when it used the approaching Formula One event to pressure three major Strip operators, MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts, to negotiate. That strike deadline ultimately led to a contract agreement including a 32% wage and benefits increase over the contract’s duration.