LAS VEGAS — The UAW’s presence in Las Vegas continues to grow as cage cashiers at The Flamingo casino voted overwhelmingly to join the union, the first time such workers will be represented by a union on The Strip.

The vote, which was supervised by the National Labor Relations Board, took place Thursday. The 25 cashiers, who will become members of UAW Local 3555, handle a variety of customer transactions, from cashing chips for customers to handling large sums of cash generated from the slots and table games.

The issues for the cage cashiers had more to do with treatment on the job than compensation, said cashier Susan Reed.

“We’re excited because we are finally going to be heard on seniority, scheduling and other issues we face,” Reed said. “There isn’t a substitute for having a real voice in the workplace and the ability to make positive changes.”

The UAW now represents nearly 800 gaming workers on The Strip, including table games dealers and slot attendants at The Flamingo and Margaritaville casinos, dealers at The LINQ, slot attendants at the Paris/Ballys properties, and slot attendants at The Cromwell casino.

“We’re proud to welcome the cage cashiers at The Flamingo into the UAW,” said Gary Jones, director of Region 5, which includes Nevada. “Backed by Local 3555, we’re confident they will be able to improve their working conditions once they sit down at the negotiating table and bargain a first contract with the company.”

The UAW represents more than 13,000 gaming workers in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio and Rhode Island.

(Photo Courtesy: flattop341 Flickr CC BY 2.0)