Coronavirus-related concerns prompting Culinary Workers Union lawsuit

In southern Nevada and the local branch of the Culinary Workers Union has reportedly announced that it will be filing a lawsuit against ‘major Las Vegas Strip casino companies’ concerning allegations that they have not adequately protected their workforces from the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a Saturday report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper, the Local 226 branch of the union represents approximately 60,000 casino employees in the cities of Las Vegas and Reno with its coming complaint due to seek injunctive relief under the aegis of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947.

Critical claims:

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the Culinary Workers Union is also alleging that its members have faced ‘hazardous working conditions’ during the outbreak that has so far killed some 500 people in ‘The Silver State’ due to the procedures and rules put in place by some casino firms to counter the highly-contagious ailment being ‘wholly and dangerously inadequate.’

Delinquent defences:

The newspaper reported that the union’s legal action will moreover claim that the unmentioned plaintiffs had failed to ‘properly warn workers, disinfect and quarantine’ after fellow team members had tested positive for coronavirus and seek a court order that would force casino operators to institute improved protocols to guarantee the ‘safety for all hospitality and gaming workers in Nevada.’

Contemporary consideration:

For its part and the Culinary Workers Union used its own Saturday press release to proclaim that it has been ‘tracking what casino employers are doing to prevent’ the spread of coronavirus across a number of areas including the daily cleaning of rooms and the provision of protective equipment and regular testing services. The union declared that it has decided to file its lawsuit after this effort indicated that many such firms ‘have not protected workers, their families and their community’ from contracting the potentially-lethal virus.

Read a statement from the Culinary Workers Union…

“The Culinary Workers Union has been calling for all customers to wear masks in public spaces since early May. A mandatory mask policy is a good step towards protecting workers and the hospitality industry in Nevada but much more has to be done. After months of advocating for increased transparency, we are pleased that most major gaming companies have posted their coronavirus safety plans on their public-facing websites.”