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Women of Clark County
Hattie Canty
1933 - 2012
"The union taught me how to fight for what I needed and what I had, and if it was something I wanted, how to go after it."
Hattie Canty focused on improving workers' rights and quality of life, ultimately serving as the president of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 throughout the 1990s.
Born in Alabama, Canty moved to California with her two children after her marriage ended, looking for better opportunities. She worked as a housekeeper and cook. After remarrying, Canty and her husband relocated to Las Vegas, where she stayed home to care for ten children. In 1972, she started working at the Thunderbird Hotel as a maid. She left that position when her husband fell ill to take care of him. Following his death, Canty worked as a janitor for the Clark County School District and as a maid in private homes, seeking employment opportunities that enabled her to support her family and care for her children. Later, she worked as a maid and uniform attendant at the Maxim Hotel and Casino.
During her time at the Maxim, Canty became active in the Culinary Workers Union. Canty served as the union president during the 1990s, a period of significant growth in Las Vegas that included the opening of several large casino-resorts and one of the longest labor strikes in U.S. history. Canty saw her work as a labor activist as part of the civil rights movement and women’s rights movement. She took part in founding the Culinary Training Center, called the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas today, which provides job training for those interested in entering the hospitality industry and especially for women of color.
Pictured: Hattie Canty marching during a union strike. UNLV University Libraries Special Collections & Archives.
Sources
- Manicastri, Martina. “Celebrating Black History: Hattie Canty.” CWA Local 1036, February 14, 2024. https://cwa1036.org/news/celebrating-black-history-hattie-canty.
- “Hattie Canty.” In Online Nevada Encyclopedia. Accessed May 20, 2025. https://www.onlinenevada.org/articles/hattie-canty.
- Makers Teaching Modules. “Hatty Canty.” Accessed May 20, 2025. https://makersteachingmodules.sites.unlv.edu/items/show/23.
For questions or comments, please reach out to the Clark County Museum at ccmuseum@clarkcountynv.gov.