UNITE HERE proposes comprehensive public health guidelines to protect casino workers & guests as gaming facilities move towards reopening

ONLINE / ON TWITTER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Tuesday, May 5, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Meghan Cohorst, 239-503-1533, mcohorst@unitehere.org

Bethany Khan, 702-387-7088, bkhan@culinaryunion226.org

UNITE HERE proposes comprehensive public health guidelines to protect casino workers & guests as gaming facilities move towards reopening

Video from press conference here: https://unitehere.box.com/s/gkdpptno54ugkqiss9pj7wfipoby1e25

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — Along with all other non-essential business, all casinos in the United States have been closed since March in an attempt to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as some states prepare to reopen, casino workers and their union, UNITE HERE, want to ensure that appropriate public health protections are in place to safeguard both workers and casino guests. 

“Hundreds of thousands of workers are employed in the gaming industry in the United States, and it is imperative that any plan made to reopen these facilities involves input from both workers and their union,” said UNITE HERE International President D. Taylor, “The health and safety of both workers and casino guests is our union’s top priority, which is why UNITE HERE consulted with public health professionals and industrial hygiene experts to develop a set of public health guidelines for gaming facilities. The casino companies need to work with us to ensure a healthy and safe environment when casinos re-open, and if they won’t, the gaming regulators of the states in which they operate must take action.”

UNITE HERE is proposing public health guidelines that include:

Pautas de Salud Pública de UNITE HERE de la Unión de Trabajadores Culinarios Local 226 y la Unión de Cantineros Local 165 para Establecimientos de Juegos de Azar Durante la Pandemia COVID-19

“Since March, I’ve stayed home to do my part to flatten the COVID-19 curve and protect my family and my community,” said Gladis Blanco, a guest room attendant at Bellagio, a MGM Resorts International property, “I’m ready to go back to work, and I know my co-workers in Las Vegas and in casinos around the country are too, but we need to know that we’ll be safe when we return. We need the protections that these public health guidelines will provide. Strong protections that keep both workers and guests safe are essential for the re-opening of the gaming industry to be a success.”

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UNITE HERE is the largest union of gaming workers in the world, representing over 100,000 members in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Louisiana, Mississippi, California, and several other US states. More than 95% of UNITE HERE’s total union membership of 300,000 is currently idled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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