MEDIA ADVISORY FOR:
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
Culinary Union Primary Election Day media availability
*BROLL of Culinary Union canvassers during Primary*
Las Vegas, NV - Culinary Union will host media availability on Primary Election Day: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at the Culinary Union HQ.
Culinary Union is running a Primary GOTV program in Southern Nevada. Hospitality workers, who have taken a leave-of-absence from their casino jobs to knock on doors and talk to voters, are available for interviews in English or Spanish.
There are also limited shadowing opportunities available to reporters who are interested in spending an hour in the field with canvassers. To attend any of the Election Day events on Tuesday, June 9th, shadow a canvass team, or to schedule interviews with workers and/or Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge, contact Bethany Khan.
WHO:
*Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for Culinary Union
*Diana Valles, President of the Culinary Union
*Culinary Union members
WHAT: Primary Election Day media availability with the Culinary Union
WHEN: Tuesday, June 9, 2026
6am - Election Day rally with Culinary Union members
7pm - Election Night Party with canvassers, community members, and other invited guests.
WHERE: Culinary Union HQ (5241 Spring Mountain Road Las Vegas, Nevada 89146).
WHY:
Culinary Union previously released its 2026 Primary Endorsement Guide and is proud to run a GOTV program to re-elect State Senators Edgar Flores and James Ohrenschall, Assemblymember Linda Hunt, and Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom.
“In Nevada, we are facing the biggest tourism drop since the 1970s. Prices on everything from groceries, utility bills, car insurance premiums and especially healthcare are going through the roof. We are organizing and fighting back,” said Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union. “We need to re-elect fighters like State Senators Edgar Flores and James Ohrenschall, Assemblymember and Culinary Union Shop Steward Linda Hunt, and Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom, who are going to stand with us, fight to lower prices, and protect working people. Let’s vote to re-elect them.”
As the Culinary Union continues to celebrate its 90th anniversary, Nevada’s largest union is mobilizing hospitality workers and immigrant voters this year to elect political leaders who will continue to fight for Nevadans. Hospitality workers, who have taken a leave-of-absence from their casino jobs to canvass, knock on doors, and talk to voters, reflect the Culinary Union’s diverse membership.
Culinary Union has organized for nine decades to build worker power and strength as the largest organization of Latino/a, Black, and Asian American Pacific Islander workers in Nevada. Each political effort draws from the Culinary Union’s years of rich knowledge of effective and precise voter contact, which is rooted in the principle of working people talking to each other about the importance of building collective power through voting.
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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 120,000 Nevadans, the Culinary Union’s members, and their dependents.
The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Latino/a, 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% Latino/a, 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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