Comedian Steve Hofstetter Cancels Weekend Show at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas as Strike Continues

Posted on: January 1, 2025, 06:28h. 

Last updated on: January 1, 2025, 06:28h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Comedian Steve Hofstetter won’t be appearing at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas as a show of solidarity with striking hospitality workers.

The standup comic was scheduled to appear Saturday at the casino’s 24 Oxford performance venue. Instead, he will appear on May 19 at Wise Guys Las Vegas Town Square.

The 45-year-old Hofstetter, who has 823K subscribers on YouTube, revealed his plans in a recent Facebook post.

Hey friends. I was hoping the strike would be settled by now, but it isn’t. And so in solidarity with the striking culinary workers, I am cancelling my January show at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas,” his post said.

Tickets will be refunded automatically. He encourages his fans to show up in May for the rescheduled Las Vegas performance.

Culinary Union Backs Decision

Hofstetter’s decision to cancel his performance at the Virgin Hotels was praised by the Culinary Union, which is representing the approximate 700 workers now on strike as they seek salary increases, as well as other benefit improvements.

“[It] is more than just an act of solidarity — it’s a courageous stand for justice and fairness,” Ted Pappageorge, Culinary Union secretary-treasurer, said in a statement.

Virgin Las Vegas has threatened their own employees with permanent replacements, hired scabs, and raised the issue of worker’s deportation,” Pappageorge added. “Steve’s decision to stand with workers, many of whom are immigrants fighting for a better life, sends a powerful message that no one should tolerate corporate greed or mistreatment of working families.”

The union wants to see other performers, customers, and conventions to cancel their plans at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, too, until the strike is settled.

“Virgin Las Vegas insulted workers with an offer of an estimated 30 cents an hour in wage increases (per hour, per year, after benefits are paid),” Pappageorge said. “Virgin Las Vegas workers are strong and they will stay out on strike until they win a contract that respects their contributions and values their hard work.”

The union wants management to agree to a proposal similar to what many other Las Vegas-area casino-hotels agreed to in recent contracts.

Last month, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas said the Culinary Union was bargaining in bad faith.

“The Culinary Union has not seriously countered any of our economic proposals, nor even brought our latest offer to their members for a formal vote,” the casino said in a statement.

Union Rejects Arbitration Proposal

Also, the union has rejected a recent proposal from the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas to engage in binding arbitration to end the strike which began on November 15.

The key point is this: these workers are ready to bargain and make their own decisions,” Pappageorge said in a statement. “They are not looking for a third party to step in.”