Las Vegas Hotel Workers’ Strike Hits Virgin Casino

Hundreds of hotel workers at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas have gone on strike in what is the first open-ended walkout by the Culinary Workers Union (CWU) in over two decades.
The walkout at the casino, which started on Friday morning, comes after months of high-profile negotiations for a new contract, with the union demanding substantial wage increases and improved benefits.
The union posted on the social platform X on Friday morning: “@VirginHotelsLV casino is ON STRIKE! Virgin hotel workers are walking out RIGHT NOW at Virgin Las Vegas for a fair contract! Stand with the workers, DO NOT CROSS THE STRIKE LINE!”
Workers across various roles are taking part, including housekeepers, cocktail servers, porters, and bellhops, following the culmination of negotiations between the union and Virgin Hotels, owned by the international Virgin Group.
CWU members are protesting the company’s proposed contract terms, which the union argues would result in negligible wage increases over the next five years.
Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer of CWU, which represents over 60,000 workers in Nevada, said “The Virgin Las Vegas proposal is a slap in the face to every worker.”
The union’s frustration with the company’s offer has been building for months.
Earlier this year, workers staged a 48-hour walkout in a bid to push the casino toward a fairer contract, but negotiations ultimately stalled.
CWU has now escalated its actions with the open-ended strike, setting up “24/7 picket lines” around the property and urging customers to cancel reservations or book unionized accommodation instead.
The strike comes exactly a year after CWU narrowly avoided a massive strike that could have involved not only Virgin Hotel employees, but tens of thousands of hospitality workers along the Las Vegas Strip.
At that time, workers at major Strip casinos—including Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts, and Wynn—secured new contracts that included a substantial 32 percent wage increase over the course of the agreement, with a 10 percent raise in the first year alone.
However, Virgin Hotels has remained a notable exception.
Despite reaching similar agreements for the union’s other 40,000 members at Strip and downtown properties, the company’s contract covering approximately 700 employees at Virgin Hotels expired in June.
Since then, the union and management have been deadlocked over wage increases, with Virgin Hotels offering only modest raises starting in the fourth year of the proposed contract.
The union rejected this offer, arguing that workers should not have to wait years for meaningful wage growth.
In response to the strike, Virgin Hotels issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to its workers and their well-being.
The company said it had proposed wage increases that would kick in before the fourth year of a new contract, though it did not provide specifics on the terms.
“Our dedication to our team members’ well-being and achieving sustainable performance at our property remains steadfast, and we are fully committed to finding a fair resolution that is in their best interest,” the statement reads.
However, union officials maintain that the Virgin Hotels offer falls far short of the fair compensation workers deserve, especially considering the rising cost of living in Las Vegas and the increased profitability of the hospitality sector in recent years.
The last time union members went on strike in Las Vegas was in 2002, when they held a 10-day walkout at the Golden Gate hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas.
As negotiations continue, the strike at Virgin Hotels highlights the ongoing challenges faced by workers in one of the country’s most lucrative hospitality markets.
The Virgin Hotels dispute underscores the tension between labor and corporate interests in an industry that has long been a vital part of Las Vegas’ economy.
Newsweek has reached out to Virgin Hotels for comment via email.
This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press