FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, March 10, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
STATEMENT by Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge regarding AB223 (Enforcement of habitability complaints against landlords):
Nevada has a serious problem with the enforcement of habitability complaints against landlords.
We have heard from Culinary Union members, as well as other community members, regarding landlords failing to make urgent and necessary repairs in a timely manner, including in life-threatening circumstances, such as air conditioners failing in Las Vegas summers.
In observing eviction proceedings in Las Vegas Justice Court, we have seen many tenants evicted because they withheld rent as a result of their units being unlivable. Unfortunately, because renters did not know the proper process for withholding rent, they were removed from their homes and had an eviction placed on their record.
Eviction court cannot be the only venue for tenants to enforce their rights and the stakes are too high if a renter makes a mistake.
Nevada must ensure that there is an incentive structure in place to encourage landlords to maintain their units in a livable state and that the process is transparent and effective so renters can enforce their right to a livable home.
The Culinary Union urges the Nevada Legislature to support and pass AB223.
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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% 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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