LAS VEGAS, NV – Dozens of Culinary Union members were arrested on the Las Vegas Strip Wednesday evening in an act of civil disobedience as the union seeks a new five-year contract.

The assembled union members were vocal as they picketed in front of multiple Strip resort hotels. At approximately 5:45 p.m., some of them gathered between Bellagio and Paris and sat down in a circle in the middle of Las Vegas Boulevard, bringing traffic to a dead stop.

At approximately 5:50 p.m., Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers began to take the union members disrupting traffic into custody, using zip ties to bind their hands and escort them off the street. The remaining union members cheered wildly and vocally as this happened.

“Our goal is to send a message to these properties that they’re going down the wrong path, that they’re making a big mistake,” said Ted Pappageorge, Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer.

The Culinary Union represents over 60,000 hospitality workers in Las Vegas and is the largest union in Nevada. The union is seeking a new contract that includes wage increases, better healthcare benefits, and stronger protections against sexual harassment.

The union’s decision to engage in civil disobedience is a significant escalation in the contract negotiations. It is the first time in over 20 years that the union has taken such action.

The arrests of the union members are likely to draw further attention to the contract negotiations and put pressure on the Strip resort hotels to reach a deal with the union.

Why did the Culinary Union members engage in civil disobedience?

The Culinary Union members engaged in civil disobedience to send a message to the Strip resort hotels that they are serious about their demands for a new contract. They are seeking wage increases, better healthcare benefits, and stronger protections against sexual harassment.

What is the next step in the contract negotiations?

It is unclear what the next step in the contract negotiations will be. The Culinary Union has said that it is willing to continue negotiating with the Strip resort hotels, but it is also prepared to take further action if necessary. The union has not ruled out the possibility of a strike.

Credits: Fox 5 Vegas

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