The unions met last week with MGM, Caesars and Wynn Resorts - the three largest private employers in Las Vegas.
The unions are among the most powerful in the United States, representing 53,000 hospitality workers in Las Vegas. Unions in the auto, rail, healthcare and other industries have kept companies off balance in recent months with labor actions. The unions have asked casino customers not to cross picket lines. Union workers will picket in front of eight MGM and Caesars resort locations on Thursday. 'We're not really seeing anything that's sufficient to try to avert a strike and that's unfortunate,' Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union, told reporters. In prior negotiations, a strike threat was enough to spur a deal, but these talks have been slow, union representatives said on Monday. The Culinary Workers and Bartenders Unions seek a new five-year contract with improved wages and benefits as casino operators post record profits.
