Vegas Police Make 98 Arrests During Union Protest

Las Vegas police made around 98 arrests during a union protest on Wednesday.

Several thousand union workers lined the Las Vegas Strip to protest the Cosmopolitan casino for not giving its workers contracts. The group caused traffic to slow to a crawl as police contended with the numerous individuals who showed up to picket.

Culinary Union 226 representatives explained that many employees at Cosmopolitan have not been given contracts after they began work at the casino. Since negotiations between the resort and the union have stalled, many workers gathered on the Strip to protest.

“Cosmopolitan, look around, Las Vegas is a union town! No justice, no peace!” protesters yelled.

Police began rounding people up when they refused to disperse. Las Vegas police reportedly made 98 arrests in an effort to break up the protest.

Wednesday’s protest was the first time during negotiations with the casino that workers decided to employ civil disobedience. Authorities believe around 1,500 people showed up to protest how Cosmopolitan is currently treating its employees.

The union workers chose a very popular tourist destination for their protest. The block where the demonstration took place is the home of such heavily-traveled hot spots as the Bellagio, Aria, and Planet Hollywood. The picketing caused rush hour traffic to come to a standstill.

Reports indicate that around 80 police officers were called to the scene to deal with the protesters. Vegas authorities rounded up at least 98 people into a police bus before convincing others to stop blocking traffic.

Cosmopolitan spokeswoman Amy Rossetti said “negotiations with the unions to find a fair agreement” were currently underway. The casino is owned by Deutsche Bank. However, the union is currently negotiating with casino management as opposed to its owners.

Video of the protesters on the Strip has been included below.

What do you think about Las Vegas police making 98 arrests in connection with a recent union protest?

[Top Image via Shutterstock.com – Bottom Image via Rob Wilson / Shutterstock.com]