Las Vegas: Beyond the Glitz and Glamour
Las Vegas: Beyond the Glitz and Glamour Notions of Las Vegas often stimulate nostalgic images of towering casinos, neon lights, gaming, showgirls, organized crime, and popular stars such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. In this light, “Sin City” has effectively distinguished itself as the world’s premier postmodern, urban landscape, uniquely structured to accommodate a range of unfettered runs of hedonism. Yet, these phenomena have been made possible by the agency of less heralded subjects such as the city’s hospitality industry workers and their Culinary Union. Hence, Las Vegas is principally a story of labor history and union organization. To grasp the history of this once sleepy desert town, one must examine the rich history of the Culinary Union. Chartered in 1935, it currently holds over 60,000 members throughout Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada. In general, its members hold positions as room attendants, bartenders, cocktail servers, waitsta...