Vegas Workers Picket for New Deal

In Las Vegas, workers are on their third day of picketing at a major casino. They're protesting for better pay and benefits, similar to what others got last year. The strike is happening just before a big racing event, the Las Vegas Grand Prix. No talks are planned between the union and casino management yet. The union has around 70, 000 members, and this is their first open-ended strike since 2002. The casino has already brought in temporary workers. The union pays striking workers $500 a week. Workers like housekeepers, servers, and kitchen staff are involved. Last year, the union had a short strike to push for a new deal. The casino recently agreed on a contract with some Teamsters Union members. Other casinos made deals just before last year's race, with big pay increases. Virgin Hotels calls those deals unsustainable and wants a fair agreement for its employees. The last strike was in 2002 at the Golden Gate hotel-casino.