The nation’s top labor relations court began hearing a high-profile case on Tuesday involving allegations of union-busting by Station Casinos, a subsidiary of Red Rock Resorts.
The case, initiated by a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) complaint filed in April 2021, accuses Red Rock Resorts of using COVID-19 pandemic layoffs to undermine Culinary Local 226 union-affiliated workers. According to the NLRB, the company engaged in union-busting tactics before workers could vote on union representation.
Union secretary-treasurer Ted Pappageorge expressed hope that the trial would hold the company accountable for its alleged anti-union actions.
“The trial could make the company face the consequences of their anti-union and anti-worker actions,” Pappageorge said outside the Foley Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, where the evidentiary phase of the trial began.
Alba Acosta, a banquet server at Red Rock Casino, shared her personal experience, stating that she was rehired post-pandemic as an on-call worker, limiting her access to benefits.
“They promised to give so much such as free health care, but now with my limited hours, I am not qualified to receive it,” Acosta said. “Its benefits are only for full-time employees, which pre-pandemic I was. One of (Station Casinos’) most famous quotes is, ‘We love locals,’ but it’s refusing to give back what really matters: our jobs.”
Station Casinos countered the allegations, claiming the union’s actions are part of a harassment program targeting the company. The operator highlighted that union representation votes have repeatedly failed or were repealed at multiple properties.
“No amount of noise, bluster, or harassment from the Culinary Union will turn our team members’ ‘no’ to the Culinary Union into a ‘yes,’” the company stated.
In June, the NLRB ordered Red Rock Resorts to bargain with Culinary at Red Rock Casino due to its alleged union-busting tactics. The company has appealed the decision in the D.C. Court of Appeals. The case is expected to be protracted, with 39 hearing dates scheduled through the end of 2024.
The NLRB complaint further alleges that Station Casinos used layoffs selectively to dilute union support and failed to notify or bargain with unions, leading to the “unlawful withdrawal of recognition” of the Culinary Union for workers at Boulder Station and Palace Station.
Jennifer Hanson, another banquet department employee, voiced her determination to fight for her colleagues who lost their jobs and benefits during the pandemic. “I’m gonna fight every single day and I’m extremely proud to be here and to fight for all my co-workers who will have to go on trial,” Hanson said.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/noticias/2024/07/31/73805-station-casinos-faces-unionbusting-allegations-in-federal-labor-court
