ONLINE / SOCIAL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
STATEMENT by Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge regarding the passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson:
Today, working people in Las Vegas and across the country are mourning the loss of a champion, Reverend Jesse Jackson.
In 1990, when I was a bartender at the Horseshoe and we were on strike for nine long months, almost no one would stand with us, but Rev. Jackson did.
We were told that we couldn’t march in the street and if we did, there would be arrests. Rev. Jackson came to Las Vegas, stood shoulder to shoulder with workers, led us on that march, and not one worker was arrested.
At a time when our fight felt uphill, he gave us courage and hope.
He kept showing up, walking picket lines during the Frontier strike, and standing with workers who were organizing at the Venetian and Trump Hotel Las Vegas.
Rev. Jackson believed in workers, immigrants, and civil rights for all.
We feel his loss deeply, but his legacy lives on in every picket line, organizing drive, and contract fight where workers demand respect and a better future.
We will honor him by marching forward and doing what he always told us: Keep hope alive.
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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 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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