Dozens of Culinary Union members, including Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge, were arrested Thursday evening during a planned civil disobedience action at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The arrests occurred when approximately 57 protesters blocked Paradise Road outside the hotel property.

The arrests were peaceful and pre-planned, with media outlets notified in advance. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers handcuffed protesters who had deliberately sat in the street.

The round-the-clock strike, which began last Friday, involves about 700 hospitality workers who have been working without a contract since June 2023. Workers are demanding:

• Higher wages
• A five-year contract
• Benefits comparable to other Las Vegas Strip properties
• Improved working conditions

Affected workers include guest room attendants, servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, and kitchen staff. The union has called for a public boycott of the hotel and labeled replacement workers as "scabs."

This marks the second instance of civil disobedience arrests at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, following 23 arrests in August when protesters blocked the hotel's porte-cochere.

The hotel maintains it has successfully hired qualified temporary workers and claims the union isn't engaging in "meaningful bargaining." The strike coincides with the Formula 1 Las Vegas race weekend, a major tourism event for the city.

There are currently no scheduled negotiations between the union and hotel management, leaving no clear end in sight for the ongoing labor dispute.

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