On Thursday, the Nevada State AFL-CIO, UNITE HERE Culinary Union and community allies rallied with the AFL-CIO’s “It’s Better In a Union” tour bus in Las Vegas to highlight their fight to protect hospitality workers and the state economy from the Trump administration’s policies. Later in the day, labor leaders also joined Rep. Dina Titus and other lawmakers to discuss how federal cuts are threatening the livelihoods of working people.
The Culinary Union, the Nevada affiliate of UNITE HERE, represents tens of thousands of workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including those at most casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in downtown Las Vegas. These members are the lifeblood of the city’s tourism industry and they are fighting back against the Trump administration’s attacks on immigrant workers and disastrous cuts to essential programs like Medicaid.
“The ‘Trump Slump’ is real and it’s happening in Las Vegas,” said Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Union. “This administration promised it was going to take on costs of groceries, eggs, rent and now that's gone. They've completely forgotten about their promise to fight the cost of living. We're telling this administration we need a course correction because it's costing us jobs and hurting Las Vegas right now."
“The ‘It’s Better in a Union’ bus tour is in Las Vegas because we're hurting,” Susie Martinez, executive secretary-treasurer of the Nevada State AFL-CIO, said. “Our economy is losing jobs and putting working families at risk. Instead of tackling the cost of living, Trump is targeting immigrants, arresting hardworking gardners and dishwashers while big corporations continue to profit. It's a travesty....Nevada workers are standing together to demand an economy that works for everyone.”