Hospitality workers reject Las Vegas mayor's comments on reopening: 'We're not test subjects'
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman unnerved hotel and casino workers on Wednesday when she pushed for resorts to reopen as soon as possible amid the coronavirus pandemic.
During an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Goodman was asked how these establishments could reopen safely. "That's up to them to figure out, I don't own a casino," she responded. That answer was "one of the worst things I've heard," UNITE Here president D. Taylor told NBC News. Taylor said the 300,000 U.S. hospitality workers represented by his union want to "go back to a safe and secure workplace and not be an experiment in a petri dish."
Nevada has reported 4,081 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 172 deaths. The Culinary Union, which represents workers on the Las Vegas Strip, says 11 members have died. Hotel and casino employees have said they need to have strict safety measures in place for employees and guests before going back to work. Some suggestions include temperature checks for patrons upon entrance; constant cleaning of dice, cards, and slot machines; social distancing guidelines; and limits to the number of people at bars and in elevators.
Alexander Acosta, a bartender in Las Vegas, told NBC News that Goodman's comments "struck a nerve." He and his colleagues are "not test subjects," Acosta said. "We're people, we are employees. We try to live everyday as we can." For his job, Acosta believes he might need to wear a mask and gloves, but he's worried there won't be enough proper equipment to go around.
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