Some 57 Culinary Union members and officials were arrested Thursday evening during a planned civil disobedience action at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, including union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge.

The arrests occurred around 6 p.m. when protesters blocked Paradise Road outside the hotel. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers peacefully handcuffed and removed demonstrators who had staged a sit-down protest.

The round-the-clock picket line began last Friday after union leadership rejected the hotel's latest offer. Around 700 hospitality workers, including guest room attendants, servers, porters, cooks, and other staff, have been working without a contract since June 1, 2023.

The union demands include:

• A five-year contract
• Higher wages
• Benefits comparable to other Las Vegas Strip properties
• Improved working conditions

This marks the second major protest at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, following August arrests of 23 workers and union leaders who demonstrated in the hotel's porte-cochere.

The hotel has responded by hiring temporary replacement workers, claiming the union isn't engaging in "meaningful bargaining." The strike coincides with the Formula 1 Las Vegas race weekend, a major tourism event for the city.

The Culinary Union continues to urge the public not to cross the picket line, with no immediate resolution in sight as both parties remain at an impasse.

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