Culinary union starts negotiating new contract with MGM Grand

Represenatives from the Culinary Union Local 226 and MGM Grand have begun negotiating a new contract for nearly 3,000 workers at the Strip property.

The current five-year deal expired Nov. 12 and the workers are now under extended contracts.

The two sides have already met once and are working out dates for future meetings.

D. Taylor, the union's secretary-treasurer, said even with the state of the economy it would be hard to imagine the 3,000 workers receiving anything less than what other MGM Mirage employees got last year when those contracts were renewed.

Those workers received five-year contracts with full health benefits and cost-of-living raises.