Some of Vegas' working class feels 'forgotten'
Joe Spica, 44, a bellman at a resort on the Las Vegas Strip and father of three, said the working class feels "forgotten." Lower hotel occupancy means fewer opportunities for him and his fellow bellmen, cocktail servers and valets to make tips, their primary income, pinching their wallets even further.
"I used to be able to take care of multiple dinners for me and my family with my tips from one day," Spica said. "Now I'm lucky to get a dinner for my tip for one day, and it's hard."
Aaron Mahan, 52, who has lived in the Las Vegas area since 1988 and now works a to-go window at an off-Strip property, said the restaurant itself is a symbol of the slowdown. It was downgraded from a 24-hour coffee shop to breakfast and buffet service only because business couldn't support it.
"Everything's costing more," said Mahan, a registered Republican who says he voted for Trump twice but not in 2024. "It's affecting the way I shop, the way I go out, affecting my entire life. I'm budgeting a lot more than I ever did before."
Both Mahan and Spica are in Culinary Workers Union Local 226, which represents 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada.
Trump's 'no tax on tips' policy
In April, Trump visited Vegas to tout his "no tax on tips" policy, which allows workers to deduct up to $25,000 in tips from federal income taxes.
Ted Pappageorge, of Culinary Workers Union Local 226, said the policy is not effective, especially for married couples who both rely on tips as spouses must share the $25,000 cap.
"If your tips are down, then this completely wipes anything that the 'no taxes on tips' may have gotten folks," Pappageorge said.
"It doesn't really affect you until you get your taxes back," Mahan said. "So, for a month-to-month relief, there isn't much."
Workers interviewed said they appreciate the policy in theory, but it hasn't done much for their wallets, largely because tip volume has declined amid the tourism slump. Compounding the problem, the policy's financial benefit comes as a tax deduction, so workers won't see any relief until they file next year.