STATEMENT by Geoconda Argüello-Kline regarding supporting Nevada’s hospitality and tourism industries (AB435):

ONLINE / TWEET

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Thursday, April 1, 2021 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088 

STATEMENT by Geoconda Argüello-Kline regarding supporting Nevada’s hospitality and tourism industries (AB435):

The Culinary Union supports Assembly Bill 435. As Nevada recovers from this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, our state is finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hospitality workers are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and tourism levels are increasing.

Thousands of Culinary Union members, were furloughed from their jobs in March 2020, and as of today, only 50% of the 60,000 members the Culinary Union represents, are back to work. As tourism and visitation rates increase, we hope to see more workers return to work because the economy can never fully recover without workers being back to work. 

The Culinary Union is optimistic that the economy will recover with the help of legislation like AB435, which will support the number one industry in Nevada - hospitality and tourism. The Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass AB435.

ABOUT CULINARY UNION:

Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. UNITE HERE represents 300,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America. 

The Culinary Union, through the Culinary Health Fund, is one of the largest healthcare consumers in the state. The Culinary Health Fund is sponsored by the Culinary Union and Las Vegas-area employers. It provides health insurance coverage for over 145,000 Nevadans, the Culinary Union’s members and their dependents.

The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Black/AAPI/immigrant organization with members who come from 178 countries and speak over 40 different languages. We are proud to have helped over 18,000 immigrants become American citizens and new voters since 2001 through our affiliate, The Citizenship Project. 

The Culinary Union has a diverse membership which is 55% women and 45% immigrants. The demographics of Culinary Union members are approximately: 54% Latinx, 18% white, 15% Asian, 12% Black, and less than 1% Indigenous Peoples. 

Culinary Union members work as: Guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry and kitchen workers. The Culinary Union has been fighting for working families in Nevada for 86 years.

CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226 

###

More News

Get Connected