With the fast growth in Las Vegas these days, one of the latest trends is to be "out with the old and in with the new".  This could not be more apparent than on the Strip, where older casinos are giving way to more modern, more expansive, and more dignified casino resorts.  And while just about all those who live and play in Las Vegas support the changes, there are, nonetheless, concerns about the transition stage in progress.

Keeping a close eye on the changes is The Culinary Union, which represents over 60,000 hospitality workers punching the time clock on the Strip.  The reason being is that when old hotels and casino resorts close to allow for construction upgrades, many workers will be unemployed until the business is back up and operating again.

While some employees are being guaranteed their jobs later down the road, many others are not, which is obviously good reason to look for another form of employment.  Severance payments help to cover this transition time - when a steady paycheck is no longer coming in.  However, many casino operators do not publicly make known to their employees that a severance payment option is even available.

This is where The Culinary Union steps into the picture.  A historic deal - the first of its kind - was struck between The Culinary Union and Boyd Gaming Corp., for which Boyd will offer generous severance packages for both its Union and non-Union workers when Boyd's Stardust Casino Resort is demolished to make way for a new $4 billion casino resort. 

In the meantime, Las Vegas continues to thrive during the biggest construction boom the city has ever seen.