Vegas Casino Union: Deaths Of Workers, Relatives Reaches 22 Cases

Published: 20/07/2020 | Last Updated: 27/07/2020

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The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and the Bartenders Union Local 165 revealed 22 deaths and 352 hospitalizations of members and families since March. The group said that the hospitalization of members and their relatives increased by 800 percent since Governor Steve Sisolak approved the reopening of the casinos on June 4.

In the previous weeks, the Union filed a legal complaint against casino operators in Las Vegas over claims of negligence in implementing the proper protocols for safety and sanitation in the casinos during the reopening. The Union claimed that the operators are gambling with people’s lives.

During the reopening of the casinos in early-June, it was observable that casino operators failed to wear masks in the casinos properly. Employees said that nearly 80 percent of the guests are not wearing masks since they are not a requirement upon entry in the casinos. Operators advised guests and employees to wear masks, but the use is not mandated inside the casino floors.

The reopening of economy raised cases of novel coronavirus

The novel coronavirus cases continue rising every day. Currently, the novel coronavirus cases exceeded 14 million around the globe and killed more than half a million. In the US alone, cases reached nearly four million, with deaths reaching more than 140,000.

Cases of the virus in Nevada reached nearly 36,000, including 647 deaths.

The virus infection rate shows no sign of flattening as days go by. People are hoping for the discovery of a vaccine to allow things to go back to normal.

The cases of the novel coronavirus never stopped from surfacing since it started in March. Experts believe that we are still on the first wave of the virus.

During the lockdowns imposed by the government, cases have slowed down, but it never ended. The spread of the virus during that time declined because of the travel restrictions imposed by the government.

As the treasury nears depletion, state leaders decided to gradually reopen the economy, allowing businesses, such as casinos, to resume operations.

The economy slowly moved to recovery as tax collections continued. However, reopening backfired on people’s health.

The number of cases increased as the government resumed business activities to aim to boost growth and recover losses in revenue.

Union reports increase in hospitalization since March

The Union represents more than 60,000 workers, including housekeepers, porters, bartenders, servers, cooks, etc., in Las Vegas and Reno. The Union urged the government and the operators to implement proper rules and regulations to protect its members, families, and the community.

The Culinary Union asked the operators to ensure the cleanliness of the rooms every day. They also asked for mandatory testing of employees as they return to work, which should be done regularly. They also ask PPEs for the workers and the strict implementation of social distancing and safety plans on the casino floor.

When the number of new cases increased last month, Nevada implemented strict implementation of the masks’ wearing and required casinos to submit safety plans to industry regulators.