For Immediate Release
October 30, 2013
Yvanna Cancela
702-524-8384
Thousands to Protest on Strip as Contract Negotiations Remain Stalled
Hundreds to be arrested
Las Vegas, NV – Workers from across the Strip and Downtown will rally outside the Cosmopolitan on Friday to protest the casino’s stalled union contract. Thousands of workers are expected to attend while a smaller group partakes in a civil disobedience.
Cosmopolitan workers have been in negotiations for over two and a half years. During that time, workers have seen numerous jobs cut and healthcare costs increase. Maria Margarita Lopez, a housekeeper at the Cosmopolitan, said, “I am a single mother and my children need to have medical insurance. We deserve the opportunity to have our benefits like at other Strip hotels.” Cosmopolitan workers do not have the same benefits or pay scale as other Strip casinos.
“Cosmopolitan workers do the same jobs union members do but get paid less, have high health insurance costs, and no job security. We’re all workers, and we all deserve the opportunity to provide for our families” said, Vivian Gray, a housekeeper at the MGM, who is participating in her first ever civil disobedience.
“This is not about me, it’s about the thousands of workers who have fought and continue to fight to make Vegas a great place to work and raise a family,” said Jennifer Grote, a food server at the Paris casino. Grote, who will be getting arrested, continued, “We’ll be out here as many times as we need to be. The Cosmopolitan is not going to change the Vegas standard.”
Grote will be joined by workers from MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, downtown properties, and laundries as she is arrested in an act of civil disobedience.
The action will be the third major demonstration at the Cosmopolitan this year. Three lanes of Las Vegas Boulevard will be blocked.
Who: Union members and Cosmopolitan workers
What: Rally and civil disobedience at Cosmopolitan
When: Friday, November 1, 5-7pm - - workers will be available for interviews at 4:30
Where: Cosmopolitan main entrance on Las Vegas Blvd.
Follow @Culinary226 for live updates.
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