A measure seeking to reinstate the daily room cleaning mandate in Nevada’s casinos will be introduced by Republican Sen. Lori Rogich in an effort to tackle the illegal cannabis market, potentially reviving the fight between gambling properties and the politically powerful Culinary Workers Union Local 226.
According to a report by The Nevada Independent, the bill, still being finalized, would require daily cleaning in hotels and casinos. The lawmaker argues this measure could reduce illicit cannabis use and increase oversight of hotel rooms.
In Nevada, it’s only legal to consume cannabis in a private residence or at a cannabis consumption lounge, which has made hotels a potential home to illegal use. “When you have folks in there, this is not occurring. There’s a set of eyes; we see what’s happening,” Rogich told the news outlet.
The Culinary Workers Union fiercely opposed the end of the daily cleaning mandate in 2023. In 2024, the union successfully negotiated the reinstatement of daily cleaning into collective bargaining agreements set to expire in 2028.
Culinary Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge has previously emphasized the union’s hard-won right to daily cleaning through collective bargaining. He also noted that the mandate does not apply to nonunion resorts, such as those owned by Red Rock Resorts, where the Culinary Union has had ongoing disputes.
He suggested that the Legislature’s failure to implement the room cleaning mandate itself came at a cost to the union, since if the union didn’t have to negotiate for daily room cleaning, the labor group could have bargained for more significant wage increases or additional health care benefits.
The Nevada Resort Association, whose members lobbied to end the daily room cleaning mandates two years ago, is against any new legislation requiring daily cleaning. “We strongly opposed it in 2023 and our position has not changed,” President Valentine said Tuesday.
Rogich, who received union support in her 2024 election bid, acknowledged the opposition from the resort industry but said she hopes for cooperation between the cannabis industry, union workers, and resorts.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/02/05/94169-lawmaker-seeking-to-reinstate-daily-room-cleaning-requirement-in-nevada-casinos
