FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, March 14, 2024
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
Culinary Union announces endorsements in the Nevada Primary for SD3 and AD17 -
LIVESTREAM / PHOTOS / BROLL
Las Vegas, NV – Ahead of the filing deadline, the Culinary Union held a press conference with dozens of Culinary Union members outside the Clark County Government Center on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, to announce the endorsements of Geoconda Hughes for Senate District 3 and Linda Hunt for Assembly District 17 in the 2024 Nevada Primary.
“The Nevada Legislature worked with big casino companies to get rid of our daily room cleaning law, which hurt the guest room attendants who are the backbone of our union and our political program. Disappointingly, Senator Marilyn Dondero Loop and Senator Rochelle Nguyen are two Democrats that led that fight. Senator Loop isn’t up for re-election this year, but Senator Nguyen is and that’s why the Culinary Union is proud to endorse Geoconda Hughes for Senate District 3. Geo is a Culinary Union kid who grew up on the picket line and she is the daughter of the former Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Geoconda Argüello-Kline. She worked with our union to lower the cost of insulin and she fought with her co-workers to keep essential frontline health care workers protected during the pandemic. The Culinary Union is proud to endorse Geo Hughes and to make sure that government serves Nevadans and not the powerful,” said Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union. “The Culinary Union has been committed for decades to elect political leaders who represent Culinary Union members. President Biden, Senator Jacky Rosen, and Congressional representatives Dina Titus, Steven Horsford, Susie Lee, and local officials have been working hard to protect workers, but unfortunately all Republicans and some local Nevada Democrats (including folks who grew up on Culinary Health insurance) sided with these giant corporations instead of working families. We have a long history of Culinary Union members and close allies running for office because that is the only way working people in Nevada are going to win what we deserve - if we run more working-class people for office. We don't need more lawyers and management-types in the Nevada Legislature and that’s why we are proud to endorse Linda Hunt for Assembly District 17. Linda is a dedicated shop steward and food server in Downtown Las Vegas, and she is a 45-year Culinary Union member who has been fighting for decades to ensure that working families are protected and we continue our long history of electing Culinary Union members to office.”
“I worked as a nurse during the pandemic, and we saw too many people get sick and die, including one of our own,” said Geoconda Hughes, an intensive care and cardiovascular thoracic nurse practitioner and candidate for Senate District 3. “I'm running for Senate District 3 because I know firsthand the need for life saving medication to be affordable. Because my son has Type 1 diabetes and needs insulin to live. As a parent, I recognize that our children need schools where their mental health is valued and well-paid teachers. I know what it's like to work hard to afford to rent or buy a house in Las Vegas. As a woman and a health care worker, I firmly believe Nevada must continue to protect women's rights and reproductive health care. I know the incumbent and I was highly disappointed during the last legislative session when she led the fight against housekeepers who are predominantly women. As a constituent, I became concerned as she sided with big corporations, which was truly what lit the fire for me to run. I am the daughter and granddaughter of women who worked as guest room attendants. They who worked union jobs to buy their home here in Las Vegas and that is why I hope to be elected to protect the hard-working people of Nevada.”
“As a proud shop steward, leader, and organizer in the Culinary Union for decades, I've learned how to fight for the life we all deserve. I'm running for Assembly District 17 because I want to have people in office who know what it's like to punch in daily, like me and all my fellow union members,” said Linda Hunt, a Culinary Union member, Downtown Las Vegas casino food server for 45 years, and candidate for Assembly District 17. “I will work hard to help people in our communities feel safe and like they have a voice again. I will ensure we all can live and thrive in our community with affordable housing and rent. We must protect the American dream of being a homeowner. As a landlord myself, I believe it's important to prevent greedy landlords from price gouging tenants. I will fight to see that our children and grandchildren enjoy full time teachers (not long-term substitutes) and to create the memories my son and I have from attending public schools in Las Vegas. The decision to start or grow your family is personal to me - it's economic. I believe health care choices should be between you and your doctor - nobody else, so I will fight to continue to protect our reproductive freedom. I know big companies and most politicians don't care about us. We need people in office who are going to protect workers and fight for a higher standard of living.”
A full list of Culinary Union 2024 Primary endorsements will be released in April ahead of Nevada Primary Election Day: Tuesday, June 11, 2024.
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ABOUT CULINARY UNION:
Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. UNITE HERE represents 300,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America.
The Culinary Union, through the Culinary Health Fund, is one of the largest healthcare consumers in the state. The Culinary Health Fund is sponsored by the Culinary Union and Las Vegas-area employers. It provides health insurance coverage for over 145,000 Nevadans, the Culinary Union’s members and their dependents.
The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Latinx/Black/AAPI/immigrant organization with members who come from 178 countries and speak over 40 different languages. We are proud to have helped over 18,000 immigrants become American citizens and new voters since 2001 through our affiliate, The Citizenship Project.
The Culinary Union has a diverse membership which is 55% women and 60% immigrants. The demographics of Culinary Union members are approximately: 54% Latinx, 18% white, 15% Asian, 12% Black, and less than 1% Indigenous Peoples.
Culinary Union members work as: Guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry and kitchen workers. The Culinary Union has been fighting and winning for working families in Nevada for 89 years.
CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226
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