The Las Vegas union that’s threatening a strike reports this week that sexual harassment is all too frequent, and its members often feel uncomfortable at work.
Cocktail servers represented by a powerful Las Vegas union say they’re being sexually harassed at an alarming rate. (Image: New York Post)
The Culinary Union says in a survey of 10,000 of its members, 59 percent of cocktail servers and 27 percent of hotel room attendants report being sexually harassed by guests, managers, or others while on the job. Seventy-two percent of cocktail servers and 53 percent of housekeepers additionally said they’ve felt uncomfortable and/or unsafe due to the actions of a guest.
Nevada’s largest union with 50,000 members, the Culinary Union is ready to walk off the job at 34 Las Vegas casinos if new contracts are not reached before they’re set to expire at 12:00:01 am on Thursday, June 1.
In a union vote held on May 22, members supported the authorization of a strike at a rate of 99 percent. That doesn’t mean a strike will occur, in fact it’s quite unlikely, as the last walkout in Las Vegas came back in 1984.
The strike authorization might give union leaders more negotiating power with the various casino operators it’s in discussions with. MGM Resorts owns 10 properties and Caesars Entertainment eight that need to reach new contracts.
Them Too
A strike by 50,000 casino workers employed in positions such as cooks, bartenders, cocktail and food servers, room attendants, and bellmen would presumably be economically crippling to Las Vegas. Union leaders don’t want to strike, calling it a “last resort,” and aren’t expected to initiate the walkout come June 1.
However, union officials aren’t willing to budge on several key contract demands. While they’re seeking higher wages and the protection of current benefits, assuring their members’ safety on the job is of utmost concern.
The Culinary Union wants all employees who are required to enter hotel rooms to be equipped with safety buttons that would immediately notify security in the event of an emergency. The union says MGM and Caesars have responded positively to that request.
Union leaders are also asking Las Vegas visitors to behave.
“We are pleased on the progress in discussions with the companies about sexual harassment and safety,” union Secretary-Treasurer Geoconda Argüello-Kline said in a statement. “We want to make sure Las Vegas visitors know they have to respect casino workers and they cannot abuse them.”
The union demands are a clear response to recent events in Las Vegas. Last fall, a gunman opened fire from his Mandalay Bay suite where he had assembled an arsenal of weapons, and killed 58 people at an outdoor country music concert below.
Sexual harassment has become a nationwide issue as a result of the #MeToo movement. Steve Wynn’s career came to a close after numerous women came forward with allegations that he repeatedly harassed them and forced them into unwanted sex.
Public Help
With nearly six in 10 cocktail servers reporting being harassed, the Las Vegas union is asking for the public’s help in combatting such misbehavior.
“I was carrying a heavy tray full of drinks on the casino floor, and a high roller … grabbed me by the neck with both of his hands and forced me to kiss him for good luck,” Bally’s cocktail server Debra Jeffries stated. “I have permanent nerve damage from that incident and I live in pain every day.”
The Culinary Union says it will distribute leaflets at McCarran International Airport on its survey results in hopes of educating visitors that what they might perceive as Vegas as usual shouldn’t be the norm. The union has also launched an online pledge that asks signees to guarantee that they will “not sexually harass Las Vegas casino workers.”
The post Las Vegas Union Initiates Plan to Curb Worker Sexual Harassment appeared first on Casino.org.
from Casino.org https://ift.tt/2spINo5
Comments
Post a Comment