While many Las Vegas casino-hotel operators have touted their enhanced health and safety protocols in recent weeks, Nevada's Culinary Workers Union Local 226 -- a Unite Here affiliate that represents roughly 60,000 of the state's gaming, hotel and food service workers -- argues the industry is not doing enough to protect employees from the spread of Covid-19.
Nevada, which ordered gaming venues to close on March 17, allowed the state's casinos to resume operations on June 4.
That same day, the Culinary Union debuted CulinaryClean.org, a website designed to track whether more than 30 Las Vegas casino employers are meeting several key safety standards being prioritized by the labor group.
"Yes, people want to go back to work, but they also want to come back to a workplace that's safe," said Culinary Union secretary-treasurer Geoconda Arguello-Kline. "Proper guideline implementation is key, and we're [asking properties to] have a committee made up of employees that evaluates what's happening every week or two. We're asking for that as a requirement, because while some employers will do the right thing, some employers won't."
The organization is also demanding mandatory Covid-19 testing for all employees prior to returning to work. While properties such as the Wynn and Encore as well as Station Casinos' Boulder Station, Green Valley Ranch and Palace Station have made such a pledge, many others are falling short, according to Arguello-Kline.
Culinary Workers Union Local 226 secretary-treasurer Geoconda Arguello-Kline.
Heavyweights such as MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment and Boyd Gaming have all partnered with Las Vegas' University Medical Center, the Culinary Health Fund and the Las Vegas Convention Center to launch employee Covid-19 testing, though a clear commitment to test all of their workers has yet to materialize. Caesars, for example, will test employees only if a prescreening questionnaire reflects that there's a need, according to a statement from Caesars CEO Tony Rodio.
The Culinary Union is also concerned about the fact that, as of June 8, none of the 30-plus properties on its website is requiring the daily cleaning of guestrooms. While some hotel guests may prefer to limit housekeeping visits amid a pandemic, Arguello-Kline said she believes that infrequent room cleanings can end up creating a more dangerous environment for both guests and workers.
"Sometimes you can have two or three or more people inside a room, and if left alone for days, it's a lot riskier for everyone involved," she explained. "The best thing for the guestroom attendant, and the best thing for the guest, is to keep everything clean throughout the stay."
Arguello-Kline is also hoping the CulinaryClean.org website will help put pressure on the Nevada Gaming Control Board to mandate more stringent health and safety requirements, rather than putting much of the enforcement onus on individual properties. The Nevada Gaming Control Board has released several documents outlining the health and safety reopening policy for casino operators, but according to the board, the policy is intended to be "used as a guide" and the group "will not consider delayed compliance with certain resort hotel criteria a violation of the Gaming Control Act."
"It's not fair to have to be fearful to work," Arguello-Kline said. "The Gaming Control Board is very, very tough when it comes to gaming. If you do something wrong, you lose your license. We'd like to see that same toughness when it comes to keeping the people who live here in the community safe."