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Thousands of Las Vegas hotel workers fighting for new union contracts rally, block Strip traffic
Thousands of hotel workers in Las Vegas fighting for new union contracts are rallying on the city's iconic Strip
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Thousands of hotel workers fighting for new union contracts rallied Wednesday night on the Las Vegas Strip, snarling traffic during rush hour as dozens took to the street vowing to be arrested to bring attention to the labor union's negotiations with three major casino companies.
Dozens of workers sat in two separate circles across multiple lanes of the Strip, stopping cars in both directions. Police officers stood by with zip ties but did not immediately arrest the workers.
The Culinary Workers Union said ahead of the protest that 75 workers could be arrested for “civil disobedience” after they blocked traffic between the iconic Bellagio and Paris Las Vegas resorts — an area already facing significant road closures due to construction for the Formula 1 races scheduled to take over the Strip next month.
Kimberly Dopler, a cocktail server at Wynn Las Vegas since it opened in 2005, said in an interview as the protest began Wednesday that she was among those who planned to halt traffic. She said the fact that dozens of workers were willing to get arrested speaks volumes about the way casino companies view their employees.