Chartered June 15, 1934 and over 3,500 members strong, we are the Union for Bartenders and Apprentice Bartenders in the Las Vegas Metro area. For decades we have led the fight to win fair wages, solid benefits, and safe, dignified working conditions for Las Vegas’s hospitality workers. Our Union has a proud tradition of being on the front lines fighting for social change and economic justice.
Who We Are
UNITE HERE Local 165 members work in all of Las Vegas Metro hospitality industry. No matter where they work, our members take great pride in delivering quality and professional service.
Our union is diverse and democratic, and since its founding in 1934, our union has won respect for Bartenders and has given us a voice in the Greater Las Vegas area.
Our priorities are to negotiate great contracts for our members, empower workers to have a voice on the job and organize non-union workers.
Over the years, UNITE HERE Local 165 has fought hard for and won:
Living Wages
Job Security
A Voice on the Job
Respect in the Workplace
Family Health Insurance Fully Paid by the Employer
A Pension to Retire with Dignity
ABOUT UNITE HERE
Local 165 is affiliated with UNITE HERE International Union.
UNITE HERE’s Culinary Union and Bartender 165 union to drive turnout in Nevada during 2020 General Election: We Vote. We Win. For Our Families.
Las Vegas, NV – UNITE HERE’s Culinary Union is running an aggressive political effort in Nevada for the 2020 General Election. The Culinary Union, the strongest force in the Battle Born state, is mobilizing tens of thousands of hospitality workers to elect candidates who will fight for our families.
The Culinary and Bartenders Unions have proudly endorsed Joe Biden as the next President of the United States of America and Kamala Harris as the next Vice President of the United States of America. The Culinary Union endorsement guide is here.
The Culinary Union’s political program for the 2020 General Election, which is responsive to the COVID-19 global pandemic, began on August 1, 2020 and is (and will continue to be) the largest in the state. The battle-tested political program has over 200 hospitality workers canvassing and making phone calls to get out the vote in Reno and Las Vegas.
The Culinary Union drove turnout during the 2020 Nevada Primary with a campaign that was planned and executed specifically for the shelter-in-place directive. The current General Election campaign is built off of that successful model. As the only organization with canvassers in the streets knocking on doors, talking to voters, and getting out the vote for Biden/Harris, the Culinary Union is committed to defeating Trump on Election Day in Nevada.
Every political effort draws from the Culinary Union’s 85-years of rich knowledge of effective voter contact, which is rooted in the principle of working people talking to each other about the importance of building power through voting.
“Donald Trump is a threat to the livelihoods of workers and our families,” said Geoconda Argüello-Kline, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union. “We are fighting to take back our country and we will deliver Nevada for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and candidates who will fight to protect Nevadans.”
We Have Used All the Funds and We will Reopen the Applications If and When More Funds Become Available.
UNITE HERE Bartenders Union Covid-19 Relief Fund
Are you behind on your Utilities? Could you use a little extra help with Groceries Not provided at Helping Hand? Then maybe we can HELP!
To Qualify for Utility Assistance:
- You MUST be a month or more behind on your utility bill. This covers Power, Water, Gas and Sanitation/Republic Services ONLY!
- The utility bill MUST be in the name of the Bartender or Apprentice Bartender who is applying.
- The utility bill MUST be for the address on file at the union for the Bartender/Apprentice Bartender.
- You MUST be laid off from a property covered by a Culinary/Bartenders Joint Board Union Contract, or working less than 30 hours per week.
- 1 (one) utility bill per household, one time ONLY.
Utility Assistance Form Click Here
To Qualify for a Grocery Assistance:
- You MUST be laid off from a property covered by a Culinary/Bartenders Joint Board Union Contract, or working less than 30 hours per week.
- Have visited the Helping Hand Food Bank at the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas.
- 1 (one) gift card per household, one time ONLY.
Grocery Assistance Form Click Here
Guidelines:
- The Union can only assist with 1 (one)utility bill per household up to $500.00.
- The Union cannot provide cash, nor can we provide a check directly to the covered worker. Checks will be made out directly to the utility company. We can make arrangements with you to pick it up or it can be mailed to you. You will have to mail or deliver the check to the utility company.
- Grocery Assistance will be in the form of a gift card for Smiths or Albertson’s in the amount of $100.00, one per covered household.
Eviction Ban Ending 9/1/2020: Get $$$ & Legal Help Today!!!!!!
The statewide ban that is preventing most evictions and home foreclosures ends on September 1st. That means if your landlord or your bank wants to evict you because you owe rent or mortgage, they may start that process soon.
Apply NOW for financial assistance and get legal questions answered.
You may be eligible to get financial assistance for rent or mortgage! Go to: https://housing.nv.gov and apply to one of the agencies listed that offers financial assistance. This includes trusted Culinary Union partners, United Labor Agency of Nevada (ULAN) and Nevada Partners.
To get free assistance with legal questions about housing, contact our Culinary and Bartenders Legal Service Fund at (702) 386-1550.
Are you a homeowner with unpaid Homeowner Association (HOA) fees? Make sure these fees are paid by the end of August as your HOA can initiate foreclosure on your home.
Once eviction and foreclosure notices start going out, we need to be ready to exercise our housing rights, including being prepared for possible mediation with landlords and lenders.
Learn more about rent and mortgage assistance programs: https://www.culinaryunion226.org/blog/rent-and-mortgage-assistance-20200731
In Solidarity,
Terry Greenwald, Secretary-Treasurer
Lana Loebig, President
Geoconda Argüello-Kline, Secretary-Treasurer
Ted Pappageorge, President
VICTORY! The Culinary Union’s Adolfo Fernandez Bill has been signed into law!
First-in-the-nation: The Adolfo Fernandez Bill is the first state law in the United States to require comprehensive measures to protect employees and customers against the spread of COVID-19.
New standard in Nevada’s tourism industry: The Adolfo Fernandez Bill requires hotels and other lodging facilities from Bellagio to Motel 6 in Clark County and Washoe County to follow new cleaning and practical standards to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Covers all workers in the tourism industry: It covers more than 280,000 workers in Nevada whether they are union or non-union, from housekeepers to bartenders, from dealers to clerical workers, from security guards to front desk staff, from cooks to cocktail servers.
The law now requires:
*Enhanced cleaning
*Handwashing, social distancing, masks, and training
*Testing and contact tracing
New regulations based on the new law will be finalized by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) by the end of August, and will be adopted by Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) and Washoe County Health District (WCHD) by mid-September.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS under the new law: https://www.culinaryunion226.org/blog/adolfo-fernandez-bill
These worker provisions in the Adolfo Fernandez Bill are the result of five months of the Culinary Union having thousands of one-on-one conversations with workers, two different car caravans on the Las Vegas Strip with over 10,000 Nevadans participating, dozens of public comments before the Nevada Gaming Control Board and Gaming Commission, and drafting, researching, and consulting with experts on the health and safety language in the Bill.
The Culinary Union applauds Governor Sisolak, Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, Speaker Jason Frierson, and the Nevada Legislature on the passage of the bill, and thanks the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) for their leadership during this pandemic.
WATCH the press conference from the bill signing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTkcwpW9kMo
READ the bill passed by the Nevada Legislature: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/32nd2020Special/Bills/SB/SB4_EN.pdf
REPORT: Tell the Culinary Union about what’s happening at your workplace at: https://www.culinaryunion226.org/report
In Solidarity,
Geoconda Argüello-Kline, Secretary-Treasurer
Ted Pappageorge, President
Terry Greenwald, Secretary-Treasurer
Lana Loebig , President
State Of Nevada Rental Assistance Program
Rent and Mortgage Assistance
Are you having trouble paying your rent or mortgage?
*Make sure you reach out to your landlord or lender immediately to arrange a payment plan.
*If you were wrongly issued an eviction notice during the moratorium, you can file a complaint with the Nevada Attorney General’s office: http://ag.nv.gov/Complaints/File_Complaint
*If you need help paying your rent or mortgage, reach out to one of the many resources below that are available to help you catch up on payments.
Current resources available: Provided by the office of Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
*CARES Housing Assistance Program: The Nevada Housing Division and State Treasurer Zach Conine have launched the CARES Housing Assistance Program to assist individuals and families impacted by COVID-19: https://housing.nv.gov
*The Legal Aid of Southern Nevada’s “frequently asked questions” publication explains how the expiring evictions moratorium may affect you and what housing assistance is available for both homeowners and renters: https://www.lacsn.org/images/Flyers/COVID0-19-Toolkit.pdf
*LAS VEGAS: The City of Las Vegas Housing Assistance Program provides up to three months of rental assistance paid directly to the landlord or mortgage company on behalf of eligible city residents: https://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/Residents/Housing-Assistance-Program
*NORTH LAS VEGAS: The city of North Las Vegas offers short-term and long-term rental assistance to lower-income households.
*NORTHERN NEVADA: Organizations like Catholic Charities, Nevada Rural Housing Authority, and the Reno Housing Authority are providing housing assistance to those in need
*Nevada Partners – Rental and Utility Assistance Program
Phone: (725) 735-2924
Website: nevadapartners.org
*Nevada’s Hardest Hit Fund – Unemployment Mortgage Assistance Program
Website: nahac.org
*Civil Law Self-Help Center
Phone: (702) 671-3976
Website: civillawselfhelpcenter.org/self-help/evictions-housing
*Opportunity Alliance Nevada
Phone: (775) 333-8274
Website: opportunityalliancenv.org/contact-us
*Neighborhood Housing Services of Southern Nevada
Phone: (702) 649–0998
Website: nhssn.org
Free College Benefit
Update: Lawsuit & Fight For Our Lives
Helping Hand Food Assistance Program
August Tip Earners Workshop
The Culinary Union’s Housing Fund
The Culinary Union’s Housing Fund has partnered with Nevada Affordable Housing Assistance Corporation (NAHAC) to assist Nevadans with applying for mortgage assistance. Funds are going fast. Call (888) 320-6526 ASAP to get on the list to apply for funds.
The Unemployment Mortgage Assistance program is available to aid homeowners who have experienced a job loss due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.
The goal of this program is to stabilize neighborhoods by helping prevent avoidable foreclosures and keep Nevada homeowners in their homes.
The Unemployment Mortgage Assistance Program is available to qualified applicants.
Borrowers who have suffered a loss of income due to unemployment or underemployment can receive up to $3,000 per month to cover principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and as applicable, Homeowner’s Association dues, for three (3) months, to a maximum total assistance of $9,000.
IMPORTANT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE PROGRAM:
Not all applicants will be eligible for this program. They must meet the guidelines established by NAHAC and approved by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Program requirements include, but are not limited to the following:
️Borrowers cannot have liquid assets* in an amount greater than three months of mortgage payments (mortgage plus any non-escrowed property taxes, homeowner’s insurance and/or homeowners association assessments). *Note: Liquid assets are financial assets that can be sold or converted into cash, in a short amount of time, without a resulting substantial loss of value. *Liquid assets may include, but are not limited to checking accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, savings accounts, stocks, Treasury bills, and government bonds. Pension and 401K assets are not considered to be liquid assets.
️ Borrowers must own and occupy the single family, 1-4 unit Nevada home as their primary residence.
️ Properties with more than two (2) mortgages are not eligible.
️ Borrowers must be legal U.S. residents or lawful permanent U.S. residents, and Nevada residents.
️ Borrowers cannot be in an active bankruptcy.
To apply, call (888) 320-6526.
WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER
A message from D. Taylor, President of UNITE HERE, to union staff, members and everyone working in the hospitality industry about the state of our union amid the COVID-19 crisis. His message?
Important News Related to Your Retirement Plan
CARES Act (COVID-19 Relief Bill)
Recently, the U. S. Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This document provides an overview of the retirement plan provisions in the CARES Act that could offer you financial relief.
How do you know if you qualify for this relief?
Relief is available to “qualified individuals,” meaning either:
You, your spouse or dependents have been diagnosed with coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19), or
You have experienced adverse financial consequences due to coronavirus, resulting from:
Being quarantined, furloughed or laid off.
Having work hours reduced.
Being unable to work due to lack of childcare.
Closing or reducing hours of a business you own or operate.
To allow qualified individuals to get needed financial help as quickly as possible, our retirement plan now allows the following temporary withdrawal and loan relief permitted by the CARES Act:
Click Here For More Information
With over 90% of hospitality workers unemployed, Congress appropriated billions in emergency aid for hotels and casinos to protect the hospitality industry workforce.
Now, the hotels want to use that money to pay their banks instead of workers.
They want federal aid with fewer strings attached.
The Culinary Union has put together a resource guide that may be helpful to you and your family: https://www.culinaryunion226.org/COVID19.pdf
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is having an unprecedented impact on the world, this country, Nevada, the hospitality industry, and working families. Casinos are closed and nearly 60,000 Culinary & Bartenders Union members are laid off. We know it is a scary time but the Culinary & Bartenders Unions have your back.
We want you to know that your job and healthcare benefits for you and your family are protected.
When casinos reopen, by contract, the companies must schedule available work by seniority. The Unions are negotiating for full-time, part-time, and on-call workers to get paid throughout the closure period.
Your health, safety, and security of you and your family is the number one priority. Together, we will get through this.
To receive text message updates from the Culinary & Bartenders Unions text “member” to 877-877.
In Solidarity,
Geoconda Argüello-Kline, Secretary-Treasurer of Culinary Union
Ted Pappageorge, President of Culinary Union
Terry Greenwald, Secretary-Treasurer of Bartenders Union Local 165
Lana Loebig, President of Bartenders Union Local 165
UFCW Jobs!
UFCW Jobs!
Our friends at UFCW have updated their jobs page to make it easier for our members to find work in healthcare, grocery and retail, on the frontlines of the Coronavirus crisis. Employers are looking to fill positions immediately. Members can apply today and help keep our communities safe. Visit www.ufcwjobs.com and click on the “Are you a former UNITE HERE member?” banner at the top of the website to be directed to the dedicated UNITE HERE portal.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We have made the decision to temporarily close our office to the public, as we have several at risk employees. We apologize for the inconvenience, rest assured that we remain working some from the office and some from home. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to your organizer directly by phone or by e-mail. Below is a list for your convenience.
Main Office 702-384-7774 ext 22
Terry Greenwald tgreenwald@herelocal165.org 702-384-7774 ext 26
Lana Loebig lloebig@herelocal165.org 702-384-7774 ext 24
Geoff Thomas gthomas@herelocal165.org 702-384-7774 ext 29
Virginia Velasquez vvelasquez@herelocal165.org 702-384-7774 ext 30
Mike Cianci mcianci@herelocal165.org 702-384-7774 ext 23
Joe Cano jcano@herelocal165.org 702-384-7774 ext 28
Mike Contorelli mcontorelli@herelocal165.org 702-384-7774 ext 27
Rory Martinez rmartinez@herelocal165.org 702-384-7774 ext 31
Marge McBride mmcbride@herelocal165.org 702-384-7774 ext 25
In solidarity,
Terry Greenwald, Secretary Treasurer
Lana Loebig, President
Palms Casino and Green Valley Ranch Resort charged with violating federal law as Station Casinos continues to flout government’s certification of union election results
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Washington, DC has denied Station Casinos’ legal challenges to recent union election victories at both Palms Casino and Green Valley Ranch Resort. The Regional Director for the NLRB office covering Las Vegas has now issued legal complaints against both properties alleging that their refusal to bargain is illegal.
The NLRB complaint against the Palms dated August 15, 2018 alleges: “Respondent has been failing and refusing to bargain collectively and in good faith with the exclusive collective-bargaining representative of its employees…”
Workers at both the Palms and Green Valley Ranch voted by overwhelming margins in favor of unionizing in April 2018 and November 2017 respectively. But instead of recognizing these results, Station Casinos has tried to overturn the elections through a series of unsuccessful legal challenges.
Station Casinos’ challenges have been rejected twice now by unanimous three-member panels of the NLRB, and in each case, a majority of the panel were made up of appointees of the Trump Administration. Station Casinos’ legal challenge at the Palms was rebuffed by a one-line dismissal by the NLRB stating that it “raises no substantial issues warranting review.”
“The company lied to us,” said Eduardo Truebas Martinez, a cook at the Palms A.Y.C.E. Buffet. “Station Casinos always said that if we held a union election that they would respect our votes. We voted to unionize because we want the same standard as Strip workers – fair wages, job security, good health benefits. It’s time for the company to do the right thing and negotiate.”
The Culinary and Bartenders Unions calls on Station Casinos, Nevada’s third largest private employer, to begin contract negotiations immediately.
“Station Casinos is defying federal law as it continues to refuse to negotiate in good faith,” said Geoconda Argüello-Kline, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union. “Any unilateral changes pertaining to workers and their workplace conditions are illegal at the Palms and Green Valley Ranch unless explicitly bargained with the Culinary and Bartenders Unions.”
TRUMP’S LACK OF COURAGE SHOWS NO LEADERSHIP LEAVING THE FATE OF DACA IN THE HANDS OF A DYSFUNCTIONAL CONGRESS
DACA is a Program that allows young immigrants who came to the United States with their parents illegally to stay in the Country under the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act without fear of deportation. Now DACA stands a chance of being discontinued by Trump wanting to end by phasing out this program over the next six (6) months.
Under DACA, there are approximately 800,000 immigrants who have received work authorizations, including many hospitality workers and their families. This could result in hospitality industry workers from working lawfully thus forcing them to work illegally.
Congress is now forced to make a decision of the livelihoods of these immigrants, who contribute to the American economy, live productive and meaningful lives, and attain education and employment, lose their most basic rights to live in a country they were brought to as children. The Bartenders Union as well as UNITE HERE and its Affiliates condemn terminating DACA. We will lobby our congressional members as well as actively take to the streets across the country with our workers in every state in the nation to advocate to Congress to save DACA.
More Articles Pertaining to DACA Click Here