Could the Las Vegas Grand Prix be over before it began? Don’t know but it looks like a strike could affect the event. According the The Judge 13:
The Culinary and Bartenders Union, which represents 35,000 members across 18 properties, has warned of a strike if its demands for better pay and conditions are not met. The disruption could well mean a cancellation of the Formula 1 Grand Prix itself.
https://thejudge13.com/2023/11/06/las-vegas-f1-cancelled/
This may be gamesmanship by the unions and the hotels but this could put the event at risk. After all, recent strikes and increased union organization efforts have been on the increase lately.
Which reminds me of a story I read years ago regarding the inaugural Australian Grand Prix at Adelaide. In the aftermath of the 1985 South African Grand Prix, airport workers were threatening to not unload the team’s equipment. This would have meant no event since all the cars and gear would be stuck inside the 747s that FOCA had chartered. The claim was that the load emanating from South Africa was “contaminated” by apartheid. However, a few days later the 1986 South African Grand Prix was cancelled so the threatened industrial action was avoided.
So there may be a historical precedent for this, as well as a framework for resolution. It could be that the labor issues get settled and Vegas can get back to separating people from their money. There is also the possibility that tens of thousands of workers strike, chaos ensues, and the event organizers decide not to run the event.
The next few days will be interesting.
UPDATE: The unions and casinos signed a new agreement before the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
