Livestream: Women in the Industry (Culinary90 Panel)
This year, the Culinary Union is celebrating our 90th anniversary and our proud legacy of winning for working families in Nevada. For nearly a century, Culinary Union has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with workers, transforming Nevada’s largest industry into one where hospitality workers have strong contracts, fair wages, and respect on-the-job. On Thursday, September 18th at 6pm, Culinary Union will host a "POWERFUL HISTORY PANEL: Women in the Industry" moderated by Diana Valles, President of the Culinary Union. POWERFUL HISTORY PANEL: Women in Industry 🗓️ Thursday, September 18, 2025 ⏰ 6:00-7:30pm 🎥 LIVESTREAM: facebook.com/Culinary226 Panelists include: *Francine Bender, a Bartenders Union Local 165 member and 40 year member who became the first woman to be Vice President when she was elected as a union officer. *Debra Jeffries, a 41 year Culinary Union member and long-time Shop Steward who went on strike for her family in 1984 and fought for the strong health care and pension benefits we have today. *Lupe Lucero, a working mother and Culinary Union member for 33 years before she recently retired, will share the immigrant worker experience, transitioning from non-union to a strong Culinary Union job. *Maria Saucedo, a guest room attendant and Culinary Union for 45 years who went on strike for 6 years, 4 months, and 10 days at the Frontier Hotel while raising her kids as a single mom. *Sandra Bougard, a Culinary Union member for 28 years, is a long-time Shop Steward who went on strike in 1984 as a 20-year-old guest room attendant. Now, she works as a cook at Mandalay Bay and has raised three kids with her strong union benefits. Save the date for all 4 of the POWERFUL HISTORY PANELS: *Women in the Industry: Thursday, September 18th *Black Migration & Experience: Thursday, October 9th *How Immigrants Impacted Our Union: Wednesday, October 29th *Line in the Sand - Strikes in Las Vegas: Thursday, November 20th Generations of workers sacrificed and organized to win the union difference. Culinary Union's history is proof that when workers are united, we win. Join us!
Press conference w/Sen Cortez Masto highlights impact of Trump Slump on working families in NV
Monday, September 22, 2025: Today at the Culinary Union, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Culinary Union President Diana Valles and Culinary Union members to call out the devastating impacts of the Trump economy on Nevada’s largest industry – hospitality. Since the beginning of the Trump administration, reckless policies have slowed tourism, raised prices, and hurt working families across Nevada. Tariffs, mass deportation threats, and Medicaid cuts are creating chaos in the lives of working people, while billionaires and big corporations profit off the Big [Ugly] Bill.
Rally: Workers' Labor Day (2025)
Culinary Union hosted a powerful Workers’ Labor Day Rally on Monday, September 1, 2025, outside of The Sphere, where 700 workers are in negotiations for a first-time union contract. Hundreds of Culinary Union members were joined by union members from the Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada AFL-CIO, Southern Nevada Building Trades, Teamsters 631, and other unions to continue defending the right to organize and celebrate the Culinary Union’s 90th anniversary of fighting and winning for working families in Nevada. Workers in Nevada are united to win union contracts, strong worker protections, fair wages, guaranteed benefits, and a better future for the next generation of workers.
Workers’ Labor Day Rally
Culinary Union hosted a powerful Workers’ Labor Day Rally on Monday, September 1, 2025, outside of The Sphere, where 700 workers are in negotiations for a first-time union contract. Hundreds of Culinary Union members were joined by union members from the Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada AFL-CIO, Southern Nevada Building Trades, Teamsters 631, and other unions to continue defending the right to organize and celebrate the Culinary Union’s 90th anniversary of fighting and winning for working families in Nevada. This Labor Day, workers in Nevada are united to win union contracts, strong worker protections, fair wages, guaranteed benefits, and a better future for the next generation of workers.
RALLY: It's better in a union!
On Thursday, August 21st, leaders from the Nevada State AFL-CIO, Executive Secretary-Treasurer Susie Martinez and President Liz Sorenson, joined Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge, Culinary Union members, and community members to rally at Culinary Union HQ as the AFL-CIO’s “It’s Better in a Union: Fighting for Freedom, Fairness & Security” nationwide bus tour stop in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bus tour stop highlighted the fight to protect hospitality workers and Nevada’s economy. As Donald Trump’s policies continue to slow tourism and hurt the Las Vegas economy, workers are standing together to demand real solutions that strengthen working families. The “It's Better in a Union: Fighting for Freedom, Fairness & Security” Rally is part of a nationwide AFL-CIO campaign to give workers a voice and build power leading up to Labor Day, September 1st, 2025. While some politicians sow chaos in the lives of working people and big corporations continue to profit off our backs, unions and working people are fighting back to win for our families.
RECAP: Press conference re: The Big Ugly Bill
On Friday, July 25, 2025, Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge and tipped hospitality workers joined Congressional representatives Dina Titus and Steven Horsford to talk about how working families will be impacted by the Big Ugly Bill. Culinary Union supports tax relief for working-class tip earners. Unfortunately in the Big Ugly Bill, tax relief for workers is temporary, while windfall tax cuts for billionaires and the rich are permanent. Millions of Americans will also lose access to health care and essential economic programs. Culinary Union will closely monitor as the U.S. Treasury develops regulations for the new tax policy to make sure it benefits working-class taxpayers as promised.
Thank you, Culinary Union HQ!
Culinary Union has been fighting and winning for 90 years! We’ve outgrown the old HQ because we’ve grown together for nearly a century. 100% of casinos on LV Strip are UNION! We’ve won Venetian, Sphere, Fontainebleau LV, the Virgin LV strike, and we continue fighting for you everyday. We’ve fought and won. Now, we have a new home to keep fighting and winning for workers at non-union restaurants, Station Casinos, and the arenas! We’ve been smart and careful with our money. Our new HQ is a financially sound investment that makes us stronger, ready to take on big corporations, and win strikes. It will be a source of power and financial security for our union family - for now and the next 90 years. We deserve this. Welcome home! Our new Culinary Union HQ campus is ADA accessible, has lots of meeting rooms, covered parking for members, and is also home to: *The Citizenship Project *Pension Fund *Goodwrx *Culinary Health Fund (coming soon!) *...and more!
Thank you, Culinary Union HQ!
Culinary Union has been fighting and winning for 90 years! We’ve outgrown the old HQ because we’ve grown together for nearly a century. 100% of casinos on LV Strip are UNION! We’ve won Venetian, Sphere, Fontainebleau LV, the Virgin LV strike, and we continue fighting for you everyday. We’ve fought and won. Now, we have a new home to keep fighting and winning for workers at non-union restaurants, Station Casinos, and the arenas! We’ve been smart and careful with our money. Our new HQ is a financially sound investment that makes us stronger, ready to take on big corporations, and win strikes. It will be a source of power and financial security for our union family - for now and the next 90 years. We deserve this. Welcome home! Our new Culinary Union HQ campus is ADA accessible, has lots of meeting rooms, covered parking for members, and is also home to: *The Citizenship Project *Pension Fund *Goodwrx *Culinary Health Fund (coming soon!) *...and more!
Culinary Union 2025 recent highlights
NEW Video: Culinary Union recent highlights *The Fight and Win Vote *Culinary Health Center - Craig grand opening *We Believe in Us rally *Contract victories: Cosmopolitan LV, HMS Host, & Resorts World LV *New Culinary Union HQ The Culinary Union has been fighting & winning a better life for hundreds of thousands of hospitality workers since 1935.
Welcome home!
The new Culinary Union HQ on Spring Mountain, located at: 📍 5241 Spring Mountain Road Las Vegas, Nevada 89146 (Cross streets: Spring Mountain Rd & S Lindell Rd) 🗓️ Monday - Friday 🕰️ 8am - 4pm 🚗 Park in the covered MEMBER PARKING spots! Need a union referral or to file a grievance? Visit the Culinary Union! We are continuing to build power for the organizing fights ahead and will keep fighting to deliver a better future for generations of working families. Our new campus is a wise investment that makes us stronger, ready to take on big corporations, and win strikes. It will be a source of power and financial security for our union family. We’re going to keep fighting for workers in this city, from the casinos in Downtown to the non-union restaurants on The Strip. Here’s to the next generation of organizing, fighting, and winning.