Two downtown Boyd casinos reach deal with Culinary, Bartender unions

Two downtown Las Vegas casinos operated by Boyd Gaming Corp. reached tentative contract agreements with two unions, leaving seven properties unsettled and targets for a potential strike Sunday morning.

Culinary Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165 said Tuesday they agreed on new five-year contracts covering nongaming workers at the Fremont and Main Street Station, which Boyd Gaming owns. The agreements still must be ratified.

Culinary officials said the contract agreement is similar to one reached in April with the Golden Nugget. Employees of the Golden Nugget ratified that contract May 1.

The settlement leaves seven properties — the D, Four Queens, Binion’s, Plaza, Las Vegas Club, El Cortez and Golden Gate — without new agreements. Restaurant workers, hotel housekeepers, cocktail servers, bartenders and other union members plan to walk off their jobs at 5 a.m. Sunday unless new agreements are reached.

Culinary Secretary-Treasurer Geoconda Arguello-Kline said in a statement that talks will continue this week with hotel-casinos that have not settled.

“Boyd has shown that they respect their employees and are invested in their workforce,” she said. “We hope that the other downtown casinos follow the example of Boyd and Golden Nugget as we negotiate with them over the next couple of days.”

In an emailed statement, Boyd Gaming spokesman David Strow said the company “was pleased to have reached” agreements with the union.

“We look forward to the ratification vote by represented team members at the Fremont and Main Street Station,” Strow said.

Employees at the California Hotel, the company third downtown hotel-casino, are not members of the Culinary or Bartenders unions.

Culinary and Bartenders union contracts covering 40,000 workers citywide expired a year ago. At the same time, Culinary members voted to approve a 60 percent increase in dues to create a fund that would support workers during a strike.

The unions settled the contracts with the largest companies, MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment Corp., that covered 20 Strip resorts.

In February, Culinary members voted to end contract extensions in place with unsettled Strip and downtown resorts, setting the stage for a potential strike. Several independent Strip properties settled with the unions, leaving downtown casinos alone at the negotiating table.

The unions called for a strike last week that could send up to 2,000 workers to the picket lines.

A spokeswoman for D Las Vegas owner Derek Stevens declined to comment on contingency plans the property might have in case of a strike. Stevens is co-owner of the Golden Gate.

Union Gaming Group analyst Robert Shore told investors the agreement between Boyd Gaming and the unions “removes a short-term headwind” from the company, which collects 4 percent of its cash flow from its downtown casinos.

“There is clear revival — new restaurants, bars, and housing — taking shape in downtown Las Vegas,” Shore said.

Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.