Las Vegas hospitality unions ratify 5-year contract with Caesars

(Reuters) – Unions representing hospitality workers in Las Vegas said on Monday that thousands of members employed at Caesars Entertainment have voted to ratify a new five-year contract.

The Culinary Workers and Bartenders Unions had earlier this month reached a tentative deal with Caesars for a “historic” new contract for 10,000 employees.

The unions had also reached agreements with Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts International, the ratification votes for which are due in the next few days.

The agreement reduces housekeeping room quotas, mandates daily room cleanings and extends recall rights for workers, providing them with the option to return to their jobs in the event of another pandemic or economic crisis for up to three years.

The unions had been in talks with the casinos for about seven months, and 95% of their members had voted at the end of September to authorize a city-wide strike.

The casinos reached the agreement with the unions just in time before the strike on Nov. 10, which had threatened to shut down the Las Vegas Strip.

(Reporting by Baranjot Kaur in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Varun H K)