Las Vegas 98 Arrests Made In Culinary Union Protest On Vegas Strip at Cosmopolitan

98 arrests were made in Las Vegas on Wednesday during a protest against the Cosmopolitan casino after they blocked traffic on the Vegas strip during rush hour.

The protest by the Culinary Workers Local 226 was due to an ongoing contract negotiation with Cosmopolitan Las Vegas owner Deutsche Bank for 2 years. They were chanting, "If we don't get no contract, you don't get no peace," Metro Police Capt. Todd Fasulo told Associated Press.

"Cosmopolitan, look around, Las Vegas is a union town!" the protesters yelled, according to the Las Vegas Sun. "... No justice, no peace! ..."

This marks the second protest this year by the union members to assemble in the public outside the casino, with several thousand of the 54,000 union members lined up to picket outside.

The protest last about an hour during Wednesday's evening rush hour in both directions before police stepped in, according to local reports.

Cosmopolitan spokeswoman Amy Rossetti stated casino management is continuing to work with union representatives to "find a fair agreement." She did add union reps were directly negotiating with casino executives, not with Deutsche Bank.

"I need to fight for my country," said Maria Mares, an employee of The Riviera hotel who wanted to show her support for workers at The Cosmopolitan.

"Cosmopolitan workers are not second-class citizens ... They need a contract," she told the Sun.

Cosmopolitan stalled the negotiations on range of issues, including wages, health care and job security said the union spokeswoman Yvanna Cancela.

Cancela revealed that Wednesday's action of the union members was the first time to exercise the long standing protest tactic of nonviolent law breaking civil disobedience, on the strip outside a unionized casino in more than 20 years. Protestors wore red union shirts and sat down on the street in front of the casino part of the demonstration.