The Culinary Union believes Station Casinos has unlawfully attempted to 'bust a union,' this time at the Sunset Casino location.
Station Casinos has been accused of this in the past, in 2020 the company withdrew recognition of the Culinary and Bartenders Unions at the Palace and Boulder Casinos, an illegal act in the eyes of the NLRB (General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board).
Documents provided at a hearing are believed to indicate Station Casinos had direct involvement in organizing employees against the Union, including text messages sent between Dave Horn and Jordan Seager, the General Managers of Palace Station Casino and Sunset Station Casino respectively.
Later on in April 2021, a complaint was issued, which then led to an Unfair Labor Practice trial, where government attorneys accused Station Casinos of unlawful discrimination, engaging in a scheme to use employee layoffs during the Covid-19 pandemic to undermine unionizing efforts and unlawfully withdrawing recognition from the union at Palace and Boulder Station. A federal Administrative Law Judge has ordered 4 days of hearings beginning July 30, 2024, connected to the trial beginning in 2021.
Now the Union’s attention has been turned to the Sunset Station Casino location. Station Casinos withdrew recognition from the Culinary and Bartenders Union on April 19 as bargaining representatives at Sunset Station. The union plans on responding by filing an unfair labor practice charge in hopes that it will lead to the company negotiating in good faith to finalize a union contract.
Along with withdrawing recognition on April 19, the company announced that Sunset Station employees would now enjoy certain enhanced benefits that the company has offered only to non-union employees since January 2023.
The union agreed at the end of 2022 that all employees should be able to enjoy the enhanced benefits, regardless of any affiliation with the union. It is still believed by union members, though, that Station Casinos uses this benefit scheme to further their union-busting campaign.
Station Casinos is owned by Red Rock Resorts and operated by the Fertitta family, longstanding members of the Las Vegas area.
