FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
STATEMENT by Geoconda Argüello-Kline regarding the repeal of the death penalty in Nevada (AB395):
The Culinary Union supports Assembly Bill 395 and the repeal of the death penalty in Nevada.
The death penalty is perhaps the most barbaric aspect of mass incarceration in the United States, which we know disproportionately affects Black, Indigenous, and people of color. We also know that the death penalty in Nevada is racially biased - almost 40% of the people on death row are Black, despite only accounting for 10% of Nevada’s total population.
Additionally, death penalty cases are extremely costly and too many innocent people end up on death row, which is a miscarriage of justice that our State should never accept.
Nevada is better than the death penalty. Over the last three sessions, the Culinary Union has advocated for several criminal justice bills that have started to right the wrongs of Nevada’s past and make sure that all Nevadans are treated equally under the law. Ending the death penalty is just another positive step towards creating a more just system.
The Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass AB395.
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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
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