98 arrested in union protest on Las Vegas Strip

[Teamster Jeff]

Source: AP

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Throngs of workers blocked traffic on the Las Vegas Strip Wednesday in a demonstration against the Cosmopolitan casino that ended with the arrest of nearly 100 protesters.

Tourists watched from an overpass across Las Vegas Boulevard as police led workers wearing red union shirts one-by-one into a white police bus.

Police arrested 98 protesters, according to Metro Police Capt. Todd Fasulo. The workers chanted, "If we don't get no contract, you don't get no peace," as they waited to be taken away.

Las Vegas' largest and most powerful union has been in contract talks with Cosmopolitan Las Vegas owner Deutsche Bank for two years.
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Wednesday's action was the first time union members deployed civil disobedience, the tactical use of nonviolent law breaking, outside a unionized casino in more than two decades, according to union spokeswoman Yvanna Cancela.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/98-arrested-union-protest-las-vegas-strip

[ReRe]

1. Hoorah! And good for those union members!

Like that chant too! "If we don't get no contract, you don't get no peace!"

[Bennyboy]

2. Hoooray for the workers!

Keep on protesting.

[Trillo]

3. Every time I read this, my eyes pop a bit when I see

Deutsche Bank. It just seems a bit dissonant. A bank owning a casino.

[AnneD]

12. How do you think they finance the building of casinos....

Junk bonds and huge loans. Watch Martin Scorsesee's Casino. Best film about the way Vegas use to be and is now.

Frankly, I like the Mob better than the corperations. At least with the Mob, they comped you while you lost money and they made it fun. They tended to spread the wealth around more.

[mokawanis]

4. Direct action brings satisfaction

and if it doesn't get us satisfaction today, we'll keep fighting back until it does.

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. It seems like Las Vegas is one of the stronger union towns in the country. Is that true?

The hotel and casino workers?

Mainly Latinos?

[Omaha Steve]

9. Yes it is

K&R!

[bluedigger]

6. I stand with our brothers and sisters in Las Vegas.

[blkmusclmachine]

7. .

.

[Ash_F]

8. Police Bus!

You know your country is in trouble when there are police buses. Better criticize some more third world countries on Fox about quashing political dissent.

[Laelth]

10. k&r for labor. n/t

-Laelth

[LeftNeckChick]

11. Shame on the AP

This type of reporting drives me insane.

From the article:
"Culinary Union members receive free health care and are paid above-average wages. Housekeepers in most Strip hotels start at $16 an hour and receive a pension."

No report on what other unionized casino employees make. No mention of how many billions the casino rakes in every year. Not a word of the CEO compensation and/or whether it includes a lucrative golden parachute.

$16 is barely a living wage... and I think it's a fair price for the crap housekeepers probably have to deal with when cleaning up after the rich bastards that visit and stay at the casino.

"We" need to stop criticizing people who are smart enough to unionize and demand a living wage, benefits, and pension. "We" need to stop trying to equalize wages by bringing others down to a lower level. "We" need to demand everyone gets a living wage and the corporations that make billions provide benefits and a pension. $16 shouldn't be "above average". It's a shame if others are getting paid less.

Where were those points in the article? Good on the union! I hope they get a great contract. And I hope they inspire others to go out and do the same.