MEDIA ADVISORY FOR:
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
Culinary Union member attends the joint address to Congress with Congressman Steven Horsford
In Washington, DC, Congressman Horsford and a Culinary Union member will be available for English and Spanish interviews on Capitol Hill
Las Vegas, NV - Today, a Culinary Union member and tipped hospitality worker will attend the joint address to Congress in Washington, DC, at the U.S. Capitol as a guest of U.S. Representative Steven Horsford (D-Nev., CD-4). Congressman Horsford recently re-introduced the Tipped Income Protection and Support (TIPS) Act in Congress, which would end taxes on tips and eliminate the sub-minimum wage around the country.
Congressman Horsford and Culinary Union member Yolanda Garcia, a tipped fountain worker at Resorts World Las Vegas and Culinary Union member for 10 years, recently sat down to have a conversation regarding no taxes on tips and the TIPS Act. Video of the conversation is available here.
Congressman Horsford recently posted on social media: “I am thrilled to have @Culinary226 member Yolanda as my official guest at tomorrow’s Joint Address. Her firsthand experience as a tipped worker highlights exactly why I’ve introduced the TIPS Act.”
WHO:
*Congressman Steven Horsford
*Yolanda Garcia, a tipped fountain worker at Resorts World Las Vegas and Culinary Union member for 10 years
WHAT: Culinary Union member attends joint address to Congress with Congressman Steven Horsford
WHEN: Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 6pm Pacific / 9pm Eastern
WHERE: U.S. Capitol (East Capitol St. & 1st St. NE, Washington, DC 20004)
WHY: The Culinary Union applauds Congressman Steven Horsford for his leadership in re-introducing the Tipped Income Protection and Support (TIPS) Act and urges its swift passage in Congress. On February 20, 2025, Culinary Union hosted a roundtable with Congressman Horsford with tipped hospitality workers who shared their perspectives and support for the TIPS Act.
Eliminating taxes on tips and ending the $2.13 sub-minimum wage, along with going after big corporation’s price gouging on food, gas, and housing must be part of an overall program to tackle the high cost of living for working families.
It's outrageous that many companies across the country still pay tipped workers as little as $2.13 an hour. The legislation that Congressman Horsford is championing will uplift millions of workers, including many in Nevada, by eliminating federal income taxes on tips and ending the sub-minimum wage.
Congressman Horsford understands the unique struggles and challenges that hospitality workers face daily. His firsthand experience working alongside these workers for a decade at the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas uniquely positions him to champion this vital legislation, which will benefit nearly 6 million workers nationwide, particularly those making less than $37,000 a year.
Culinary Union is proud that hospitality workers have a strong voice in Congress with Senator Jacky Rosen and Congressman Horsford, who are former Culinary Union members, along with Congressional representatives Dina Titus and Susie Lee who have also joined the TIPS Act legislation as co-signers, and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto who has been a leader on this issue in the Senate.
Culinary Union urges all elected officials in Nevada and across the country to join in supporting this crucial pro-worker TIPS Act legislation. For over 30 years, the Culinary Union has fought for fair wages, defeated efforts to implement a sub-minimum wage in Nevada and six other states, and advocated for fair taxation on tips for hundreds of thousands of workers in Nevada. Now, it’s time for the entire nation to follow Nevada’s lead to eliminate the sub-minimum wage, ensure that workers receive a fair wage, and end taxes on tips so one job is enough for workers to support their families.
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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 90 years.
CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226
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