‘Trump Slump’ Becomes Rallying Cry of Las Vegas Casino Union Ahead of President’s Visit

Wall Street is soaring, with the S&P500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq Composite all closing at record highs on Tuesday (Aug. 4). But Democrats and the largest casino workers union in Nevada say President Donald Trump’s second term has resulted in a “Trump Slump” on the Las Vegas Strip.

Trump is set to speak Wednesday (Aug. 5) at 1:30 p.m. local time at the Red Rock Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Trump, a former owner of casinos in Atlantic City and Indiana, is expected to promote his second-term accomplishments and how his tax breaks are helping working-class families. Specifically, the president will hype “No Tax on Tips,” which allows tipped workers to deduct up to $25,000 of their gratuities from their federal income tax liability.

Many tipped workers in Las Vegas are members of the Culinary Union Local 226, Nevada’s largest labor organization. Union brass, as well as several congressional Democrats who represent Las Vegas, see things much differently than Trump.

Ahead of the president’s speech at Red Rock, the union and federal lawmakers will rally against the so-called Trump Slump at 10:00 a.m. at the union’s headquarters on Spring Mountain Road in Las Vegas.

Union Opposition

Culinary leaders, along with Nevada’s Democratic U.S. Reps. Dina Titus, Steven Horsford, and Susie Lee, say Trump’s policies have negatively impacted Nevada’s economy.

Nevada is in the Trump Slump. Trump’s tariffs, chaotic immigration and mass deportation policy, the war in Iran, and high grocery and gas prices are hurting working families and driving away the Canadian, Mexican, Southern California, and international tourism Nevada depends on.”

Culinary Union

“Trump is coming to Las Vegas to highlight ‘No Tax on Tips.’ [But] as tourism continues to decline under Trump’s policies, many hospitality workers already don’t make enough in tips to tax in the first place,” the union continued.

The union and Democratic lawmakers say Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) “has done nothing” to help workers amid the Trump Slump.

“As Lombardo runs for re-election in a state built and run by unionized hospitality workers, Culinary Union is demanding to know why the governor stands with Station Casinos and Trump’s harmful economic agenda instead of fighting and delivering for the working people who power Nevada’s economy,” the union declared.

Station Casinos, the parent company of Red Rock, is controlled by the billionaire Fertitta family, who have strong ties to the Trump administration and have donated $3 million to Lombardo’s reelection campaign.

Culinary Democratic Stronghold

Culinary’s opposition to Trump is no surprise. The union has a long history of aligning with and endorsing Democratic candidates. To date, the union has never endorsed a Republican candidate for president or even Congress.

Culinary represents 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in downtown Las Vegas. Culinary members work as guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry, and kitchen workers.