Las Vegas Workers Sue Casinos over COVID-19
Earlier this week, casino workers sued Las Vegas casinos after reports that many workers fell ill to COVID-19. The lawsuit complains that the casinos did not require workers to wear face masks.
Unions representing 65,000 Las Vegas casino workers accused some resort operators of putting employees at risk of illness and death during the coronavirus pandemic by disregarding safety measures like requiring mask-wearing, according to an AP article.
“They want to work, but they want to work safe,” said Culinary Union executive Geoconda Arguello-Kline about hotel housekeepers, cooks, bartenders, vehicle valets and others.
The lawsuit points to the experiences of a handful of employees at a few different casinos and hotels. It accuses the properties of operating for nearly three weeks without requiring guests to use masks and facial coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It seeks a court order under federal collective bargaining law to force resorts to tighten safety measures. Currently, casinos only “recommend” masks for guests.
Nevada, like other states, has been seeing an uptick in cases over the last month.
“No shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service,” the governor of Nevada said. “For Nevada to stay safe and stay open, we must make face coverings a routine part of our daily life.”