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June 1 (UPI) -- Negotiations are in the works for a new labor deal to cover 50,000 workers at Las Vegas casinos Friday, the day thousands are expected to begin striking. The workers looking for a new deal include bartenders, servers, porters and cooks at 34 casinos located downtown and on the Las Vegas Strip who are members of the Culinary Union.
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Their existing contract expired at midnight Thursday.
The Culinary Union said early Friday a tentative agreement had been reached with Caesars Entertainment Corporation, a 5-year deal covering about 12,000 workers at nine Caesars resorts.
The union is now trying to negotiate deals for the workers at two dozen other properties, including the Bellagio, MGM Grand, Excalibur and Luxor. Last month, 99 percent of workers in the Culinary Union voted to strike if a new deal didn't materialize before Friday.
The union has cited grievances over wages, training, sexual harassment by guests and the fear of human workers being replaced by automated technology. They're asking for annual raises of 4 percent over the next five years.
Union Secretary-Treasurer Geoconda Argüello-Kline said they consider a strike as a last resort.
"We support innovations that improve jobs, but we oppose automation when it only destroys jobs. Our industry must innovate without losing the human touch," Argüello-Kline said. "That's why employers should work with us to stay strong, fair, and competitive."
The last citywide strike for union workers occurred in 1984, a 67-day walkout that strained Las Vegas' hospitality industry until the dispute was settled.
