In These Times: At UFCW, A Reform Movement Rises

By Hamilton Nolan

LAS VEGAS — It was 7:30 on a Monday morning on the Las Vegas Strip, early enough to stand outside without sunscreen. A group of people—first a trickle, then dozens—wearing matching blue T-shirts that read  ​“Organizing & Bargaining & The Right to Strike & A Voice in Our Union,” flooded the patio of the Mirage Resort & Casino pool, overwhelming the early morning smokers who had sought refuge there. This group was smiling, energized, far too wholesome for their garish surroundings.

Like a team of underdogs before a critical game, they seethed with nervous excitement.