Unions criticize Vegas mayor's call to reopen casinos, local protestors demand Nevada reopening

The United Auto Workers union on Friday criticized Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman’s call to reopen casinos despite the continued risk of coronavirus, the latest labor organization to weigh in on her remarks. In opposition, hundreds of Nevadans gathered at the Grant Sawyer building in downtown Las Vegas protesting to reopen Nevada, so they can get back to work.

UAW president Rory Gamble, whose union represents casino workers in Las Vegas along with automobile workers across the United States, called on Nevada politicians to denounce Goodman at a time when states are looking at how to reopen businesses in ways that keep workers safe.

“UAW Casino employees, their families and the community are not test subjects for her irresponsible theories on public health and the COVID-19 virus,” Gamble said in a statement, as reported by Reuters.

Goodman, whose jurisdiction does not include the famed Las Vegas Strip, which is outside the city limits, has called closing the area’s resorts and casinos “total insanity.” Her city faces a possible budget deficit of $150 million due to lost revenue from coronavirus-related closures and the associated drop in tourism and hospitality. The state of Nevada imposed shutdowns in March aimed at stopping the spread of the highly infectious virus. Governor Sisolak said last week there is no firm date as to when Nevada will reopen. “And we will open when the time is right,” he said.

Earlier last week, Goodman appeared on several television news programs calling for an immediate re-opening of casinos. “We’re ready to get back in business,” she said on MSNBC. Business owners should keep their places clean, she said. “Let the businesses open and competition will destroy that business if in fact there becomes evidence that they have disease,” Goodman said.

Her remarks prompted strong pushback from unions representing workers in the city’s hospitality industry and healthcare sector. Unions are powerful politically in Nevada, where a greater percentage of workers are represented by labor organizations than many other parts of the United States.

“To suggest that we should endanger more lives by treating Las Vegas like a guinea pig in some wild experiment betrays a profound level of ignorance of the current situation,” said Grace Vergara-Mactal, executive director of the Service Employees International Union Local 1107, which represents health care workers.

The Culinary Workers Union Local 226, which represents 60,000 workers in casinos, restaurants and bars, called Goodman’s comments “outrageous.” Nearly a dozen members have already died of the virus, said union secretary-treasurer Geoconda Arguello-Kline. “We are not expendable,” she said in a statement.

On the other hand, local protestors are calling on state leaders to allow small businesses to open their doors. Waving their flags and holding their handmade signs, protestors said the shutdown can’t go on any longer. Many are opposing the shutdown because they believe it’s unconstitutional, KSNV reports.

“Vegas is a service-based industry. Will the city ever reopen? I see everyone out of work, who is going to pay for that?” said Jade Alfasi, a protestor.

The protesters also expressed frustrations with unemployment. “It’s been five weeks and most people even with thousands of calls can’t get through the unemployment. They don’t know what they are going to do,” Mindy Robinson, another protestor said.

While many want to get back to work, some protestors believe those at risk of getting the virus should still take precautions. “I think the quarantine should apply to the sick, the elderly, those at risk, those who take care of them and it would’ve left more money and supplies to take care of those people instead of all of us scrambling just to keep a roof over our heads,” Robinson said.

Despite the state's need for more testing and tracing capacity in order to reopen, some protestors believe the country needs to keep moving.