Culinary Workers Union Local 226 Schedules Strike Vote as City-Wide Contract Negotiations Continue.

LAS VEGAS -- The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 today announced that it has scheduled a strike authorization vote on September 12th for workers who are still working without new collective bargaining agreements at that time. Members of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 will vote on September 12th to authorize the union's negotiating committee to call for strikes at casinos without new contract settlements.

The Culinary Workers Union represents over 60,000 workers in the Las Vegas gaming and hospitality industry. Approximately 50,000 Culinary Union members work at casinos whose collective bargaining agreements expired on June 1, 2007. As of July 31st, only workers at seven of Harrah's Entertainment's Las Vegas properties have settled new contracts. The precedent-setting new contracts at Harrah's properties cover approximately 15,000 workers. Over 30,000 additional workers on the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas are working under extended or expired contracts.

The Union has been in negotiations with Las Vegas gaming giant MGM Mirage (NYSE:MGM) since March 2007, for new agreements covering more than 21,000 workers at nine of the company's Las Vegas Strip properties. Earlier this month, the Union began negotiations with other casino operators on the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown covering an additional 14,000 workers.

D. Taylor, Culinary Secretary-Treasurer noted, "We will continue negotiating with all unsettled properties throughout the summer. Our hope is that we will be able to achieve great contracts for all of our members that follow the example that was set by Harrah's. If, on September 12th, we are still without settled contracts, our members will have the opportunity to vote to give their negotiating committee authorization to call for a strike."

The most recent citywide strike of casino workers occurred in Atlantic City in 2004 when over 10,000 workers struck seven of the city's 12 casinos for 31 days. The last citywide strike in Las Vegas was in 1984 for 67 days. Last year, members of Culinary Workers Union Local 226 voted for a dues increase to bolster the union's strike fund.

The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 represents over 60,000 workers including hotel and casino workers on the Las Vegas Strip and at Downtown properties as well as workers at McCarran Airport and at industrial laundry plants throughout Las Vegas. Members of the Culinary Union work in many classifications including cocktail waitresses, cooks, bellmen, kitchen workers, housekeepers, and other service workers.