Culinary Local 226 officials say they are still negotiating with 21 Vegas-area hotel-casinos for a new five-year contract for more than 7,000 workers.

Hospitality workers at 21 downtown Las Vegas and independent Strip hotel-casinos, plus two more in Northern Nevada, are working without a contract, which expired on June 1, 2023, according to the union. There are roughly 7,700 members at those 23 properties. Officials say they could call a strike deadline later this month or in February.

“We think we’re going to have strikes, it’s unfortunate,” Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge said, speaking after Vice President Kamala Harris visited Culinary headquarters in Las Vegas on Wednesday. “If we do, it would actually mean more locations under strike than the three big employers.”