Front desk workers at Palms Casino Resort have voted to join Teamsters Local 986, giving the union another notable organizing win in Las Vegas hospitality. The 34 agents supported union representation to pursue higher pay, stronger benefits and improved working conditions, expanding Teamsters’ presence in the hotel’s front-line roles and moving the property closer to full union coverage for those jobs.
According to WNY Labor Today, the 34 front desk workers voted to be represented by Teamsters Local 986 and will join roughly 100 Teamsters already on the payroll at the Palms. The outlet quotes front-desk agent Krista Frehner, who has spent 13 years at the property, saying, “It takes courage to stand up and speak out, but it takes unity to create real change.” The report notes that the unit covers guest check-ins and check-outs, customer questions and inventory work, and that pay and benefits were the main issues driving the campaign.
Teamsters Momentum In Las Vegas Hotels
The Palms vote tracks with a wider wave of Teamsters organizing and contract wins across Las Vegas hotels, as the union quietly builds clout in casino-adjacent workplaces. A recent press release on a Rio Hotel contract ratification from Teamsters.org highlights the local’s bargaining activity in the city and helps explain why Palms staff felt the moment was right to organize.
The union’s Las Vegas presence is long-standing, according to Local 986, which says it represents classifications ranging from front-desk agents to valets and warehouse workers across the valley. The Palms front desk unit is now part of that broader network of hotel and casino employees under the Teamsters banner.
What Comes Next
With the vote in the books, the next chapter is collective bargaining between Local 986 and Palms management. That typically starts with a bargaining committee and member surveys to nail down priorities, and it can take months before a first contract is hammered out. Labor guides note that the timeline can stretch if either side files unfair labor practice charges or if disputes surface as talks ramp up.
According to the University of Hawaii, once a union wins recognition, the employer is legally required to bargain in good faith with the certified union, though there is no one-size-fits-all schedule for reaching a deal.
Organizers say the immediate goals for the newly unionized front desk crew are clearer pay structures, more secure benefits and stronger protections on the job. Guests are unlikely to notice much in the short term while union and management head to the table, but the vote is another clear signal that labor’s influence in Las Vegas hospitality is still on the upswing.
