Las Vegas union backers hold hunger strike outside Palace Station

Las Vegas union supporters are holding a seven-day hunger strike to protest a casino operator's alleged attempts to prevent workers from organizing.

Roughly 17 protesters, including 10 current Station Casinos Inc. employees, have pledged to consume only water through Tuesday.

The fast began Wednesday at a makeshift camp outside the casino operator's oldest property, Palace Station, near the Las Vegas Strip.

Culinary union organizers say they spent a month training the protesters to fast.

Clergymen from various faiths are showing up to bless the protesters every morning. Medical professionals reviewed the participants before the protest started and plan to examine the workers for health issues every morning.

Station Casinos has launched an aggressive advertisement campaign in recent weeks that characterizes the union as opportunistic and indifferent to its workers' needs.