More than 100 behind-the-scenes workers at The Cosmopolitan on the Las Vegas Strip have locked in a fresh, multi-year union contract that runs through 2029, union leaders said Thursday. Engineers, support engineers and laborers signed off on the deal after negotiations that started in January, with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 501 leading the talks. Union officials say the agreement brings shift premiums, revamped overtime rules and boosted retirement and training protections, all aimed at narrowing pay gaps with other Strip resorts.
Members voted to ratify what is now the second union contract at the Cosmopolitan after months of bargaining, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The paper reports that the agreement covers engineers, support engineers and laborers and creates a training-review committee with equal representation from management and the union.
Contract highlights
Union officials say the new contract delivers premiums for swing and graveyard shifts, overtime pay after eight hours in a single day, and employer contributions to the IUOE pension, health and training funds. It also adds a supplemental annuity retirement benefit and offers potential annual bonuses tied to licenses and certifications.
The pay bumps are specific and sizable: roughly $12.08 per hour for slot technicians and $9.98 per hour for engineers, according to union leaders. "I'm proud of our bargaining committee and all of our members for the steady work it took to reach this agreement," Local 501 spokesman Scot Motl said, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Part of a broader push
Local 501 represents more than 10,000 maintenance and technical workers across Nevada, Arizona and Southern California, according to Local 501. The Cosmopolitan agreement slots in as part of a larger organizing push on the Strip, following other wins such as a first contract at The Venetian that Gaming America reported.
Union leaders say the new training-review committee will start meeting to set standards for skills and advancement, while pension and annuity contributions begin as the contract is implemented. With the deal locked in through 2029, Local 501 officials say they plan to keep pressing for clearer career ladders and more robust certification pay for technical trades across the Strip.
