New Labor Agreements Set For Las Vegas Strip Casino Workers

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.casinogamblingweb.com/gambling-news/casino-gambling/new_labor_agreements_set_for_las_vegas_strip_casino_workers_51435.html

Las Vegas casinos are doing everything possible to ensure that they keep their costs down during these tough economic times. One of the things they must do is keep their employee costs down, which they worked on this weekend.

Workers at casinos on the Strip have made concessions regarding their agreed upon raises. The workers have deferred raises that were due this year until next June. It was their effort to help the struggling Vegas casino industry.

Las Vegas, along with Atlantic City, has been the hardest hit by the recession in the US. It is not only the loss of customers that is affecting business. Many states have expanded their casino gambling laws, making the need to travel to Vegas or AC non-existent.

At a time when some of the casinos on the Strip are down over twenty-five percent in revenue, workers are having to make sacrifices in order to keep their jobs. In addition to the Strip agreement, workers at MGM Grand also ratified their deal.

Culinary Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165 both reworked deals for workers. The new deal will ensure that workers at MGM Grand, about 2,500 of them, will receive annual cost of living increases. They will also keep their family health insurance plan.

Harrah's Entertainment, Tropicana, Riviera, Las Vegas Hilton, MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood Resort, and Sahara all are involved with the contracts that extend to 35,000 workers. The plan was extended to 2013, one extra year from the original deal.

June 21, 2009
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com