Keywords
Hotel and Casino Industry; Union Wage Effects; Service Sector Employment
Disciplines
Gaming and Casino Operations Management | Gaming Law
Document Type
Original Research Article
Abstract
A significant union presence in the Las Vegas, Nevada Hotel, Gaming, and Recreation (HGR) industry juxtaposed to the near absence of unions in the Reno, Nevada segment of the same industry is used to study how unions affect wages both within the industry and in a much less unionized sector, the Wholesale and Retail Trade (WRT) industry. The results indicate that median wages of highly unionized occupations in the Las Vegas HGR industry are significantly higher than wages of identical occupations in Reno. Little difference in wages is observed in the WRT industries of the two regions. In light of recent government scrutiny of gaming in the United States, managers must become more sensitive to alleged negative socio-economic impacts of their operations. Higher wages as a result of unionization may mitigate one element of such alleged effects.