LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Culinary Union plans to file a lawsuit next week against casinos on the Las Vegas Strip on behalf of its workers who are facing unsafe working conditions amid the pandemic.
The casino workers’ Culinary Union said it is suing the companies for injunctive relief under the Labor-Management Relations Act based on the hazardous working conditions that workers face.
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The lawsuit alleges casino hotels have not protected workers, their families, and their community from the spread of COVID-19. And that the current rules and procedures in place for responding to workers contracting COVID-19 have been wholly and dangerously inadequate.
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The Culinary Union also says it is demanding safety for all hospitality and gaming workers in Nevada and is tracking what casino employers are doing to prevent COVID-19 here.
Some of the requests they have made to casino companies include:
- Requiring daily cleaning of guest rooms
- Mandatory testing of all employees for COVID-19 before returning to work and regular testing thereafter
- Providing adequate COVID-19 PPE for employees
- Enforcing social distancing and other COVID-19 prevention measures
- Requiring guests to wear face masks in all public areas - The Culinary Union has been calling for all customers to wear masks in public spaces since early May. A mandatory mask policy is a good step towards protecting workers and the hospitality industry in Nevada, but much more has to be done.
- Posting a COVID-19 safety plan on the public website - After months of advocating for increased transparency, the Culinary Union is pleased that most major gaming companies have posted their COVID-19 safety plans on their public-facing websites.
Geoconda Argüello-Kline, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union, is scheduled to lead a virtual press conference on June 29 at 11 a.m. to share the details of the lawsuit with the public.
13 Action News reached out to several casino companies and they have yet to respond or said they had no knowledge about this particular lawsuit.
