MEDIA ADVISORY FOR:
Monday, April 24, 2023 at 10am and 5:30pm
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
No contract? No peace! Culinary Union to picket Valley Hospital as essential workers push for a union contract while preparing for a strike on May 9, 2023
Las Vegas, NV - Culinary Union to picket Valley Hospital as essential workers push for a union contract while preparing for a strike. Earlier in the week, Culinary Union members, who work at Valley Hospital, made strike signs and will be signing up for strike benefits during the picket on Monday.
Culinary Union has set a strike deadline of Tuesday, May 9th, 2023 at 6:00am.
WHO:
*Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for Culinary Union
*Diana Valles, President of the Culinary Union
*Valley Hospital workers
*Culinary Union members
WHAT: Picket of Valley Hospital
WHEN: Monday, April 24, 2023 from 10-11am and 5:30-6:30pm
WHERE: Valley Hospital (620 Shadow Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89106)
WHY:
Culinary Union represents approximately 90 housekeeping, cooks, cashiers, kitchen workers, and stewards at Valley Hospital.
“Valley Hospital is union busting and is trying to take away good Culinary Union health care and pension from workers. Valley Hospital employees have been unionized for over 40 years and they are essential workers who haven’t had a contractural raise in seven years and they deserve one,” said Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union. “Culinary Union has set a strike deadline of Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 6:00am and if a union contract isn’t reached, then workers will go on strike. Valley Hospital workers are fighting to keep their Culinary Union benefits, pension, health care, and job security - worker will go on strike to protect their good union jobs.”
“I’m willing to go on strike because I’m fighting for my future and my family’s wellbeing,” said Karen Espinoza, a cook at Valley Hospital for 4 years. “I feel very unappreciated by the company - it’s been seven years since we had a raise and the cost of living has gone up, but our wages haven’t. My coworkers and I are united and we are picketing to show that Valley Hospital is UNFAIR. My coworkers and I voted to go on strike and now we are taking the next steps to prepare for a strike by making strike picket signs and now signing up for strike benefits. We aren’t going to give up until we win a strong union contract.”
“I’m fighting to keep my good union benefits, win better wages, and job security,” said Brandy McMorris, a pantry worker at Valley Hospital for 16 years. “I believe that one job should be enough and I am preparing to go on strike because I see the company trying to take away our union benefits and pension and that’s not right. Valley Hospital needs to do the right thing and agree to a good union contract. I call on the community to support us workers on the picket line."
Valley Hospital has fired 4 Culinary Union members who were leaders in their workplaces, including, Betty Williams, a committee leader and 40-year Culinary Union member. The company also decided to suspend a Culinary Union organizer from the property and interfere with the Culinary Union’s right to access of workers and the unionized workplace.
Since 2017, Valley Hospital has made $1.5 billion in revenue and sent over $100 million to its out-of-state corporate office in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. In the same time period, Valley Hospital has given its housekeeping and dietary workers $0 in contractual raises. Valley Hospital’s national company, Universal Health Services (UHS), paid its top 5 executives a total of $86 million from 2020 to 2022.
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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 45% 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 87 years.
CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226
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