Mandalay Bay workers join Teamsters Local 986

Teamsters Local 986 said 130 front desk workers at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas voted overwhelmingly to unionize, extending the union’s footprint at one of the Strip’s largest resort properties. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced the result on May 16, and industry publication Focus Gaming News separately reported it on May 18. The newly organized group joins more than 250 Teamsters already working at the property in valet, horticulture, warehouse and call center jobs, according to the union. Mandalay Bay is operated by MGM Resorts International. ### Which workers were covered by the vote? The 130 workers were front desk employees, according to the Teamsters and republications of the union’s announcement. Focus Gaming News described the group as front desk employees at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. The union said the workers handle check-ins, check-outs and other guest-facing operations at the resort. (teamster.org) The Teamsters said the front desk workers voted “overwhelmingly” to join Local 986, but the union did not publish a vote tally in the materials reviewed. No filing or statement reviewed in this search gave a date for when bargaining would begin. ### What changes at Mandalay Bay after this result? The Teamsters said the Mandalay Bay front desk unit now joins more than 250 union members already represented by Local 986 at the property. (teamster.org) Those existing Teamsters work in valet, horticulture, warehouse and call center positions, the union said. Tommy Blitsch, director of the Teamsters Convention, Trade Show, and Casino Division, said in the union announcement that “workers are stepping up because they know the Teamsters fight and deliver.” The union also said the latest vote gives it “wall-to-wall representation” at Mandalay Bay. (teamster.org) That phrase, as used by the union, means the newly organized front desk workers are joining other represented groups already on site. ### What did workers and the union say they want? The Teamsters said the front desk workers joined Local 986 to seek higher pay, better benefits and a stronger voice in the workplace. A worker quote carried in industry republications said union representation would provide “protections and benefits we deserve.” Nationwide, the Teamsters represent nearly 6,000 members at casinos and casino hotels, Focus Gaming News reported, citing union information. (teamster.org) The Mandalay Bay result adds to that total, though the union announcement did not break out how many of those members are in Las Vegas. ### Who owns and operates the resort? Mandalay Bay is on the Las Vegas Strip and is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International, according to Global Gaming Insider. (teamster.org) The union announcement and follow-on reports reviewed did not include a public response from MGM Resorts on the vote. (focusgn.com) No separate MGM Resorts statement on bargaining, recognition or next steps appeared in the search results reviewed for this story. That absence means the public account of the vote currently rests on union and trade-publication reporting. ### What comes next after the union vote? The next step is contract bargaining between Teamsters Local 986 and Mandalay Bay management. (globalgaminginsider.com) Neither the Teamsters announcement published on May 16 nor the Focus Gaming News report published on May 18 gave dates for first bargaining sessions or a target date for a first contract. Local 986 listed the Mandalay Bay organizing result among current union news on its website as of May 19. (teamster.org) Any first contract talks, if scheduled, would determine wages, benefits and workplace rules for the newly organized front desk group. (local986.org)