Palms Casino and Green Valley Ranch Resort charged with violating federal law as Station Casinos continues to flout government’s certification of union election results
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Washington, DC has denied Station Casinos’ legal challenges to recent union election victories at both Palms Casino and Green Valley Ranch Resort. The Regional Director for the NLRB office covering Las Vegas has now issued legal complaints against both properties alleging that their refusal to bargain is illegal.
The NLRB complaint against the Palms dated August 15, 2018 alleges: “Respondent has been failing and refusing to bargain collectively and in good faith with the exclusive collective-bargaining representative of its employees…”
Workers at both the Palms and Green Valley Ranch voted by overwhelming margins in favor of unionizing in April 2018 and November 2017 respectively. But instead of recognizing these results, Station Casinos has tried to overturn the elections through a series of unsuccessful legal challenges.
Station Casinos’ challenges have been rejected twice now by unanimous three-member panels of the NLRB, and in each case, a majority of the panel were made up of appointees of the Trump Administration. Station Casinos’ legal challenge at the Palms was rebuffed by a one-line dismissal by the NLRB stating that it “raises no substantial issues warranting review.”
“The company lied to us,” said Eduardo Truebas Martinez, a cook at the Palms A.Y.C.E. Buffet. “Station Casinos always said that if we held a union election that they would respect our votes. We voted to unionize because we want the same standard as Strip workers – fair wages, job security, good health benefits. It’s time for the company to do the right thing and negotiate.”
The Culinary and Bartenders Unions calls on Station Casinos, Nevada’s third largest private employer, to begin contract negotiations immediately.
“Station Casinos is defying federal law as it continues to refuse to negotiate in good faith,” said Geoconda Argüello-Kline, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union. “Any unilateral changes pertaining to workers and their workplace conditions are illegal at the Palms and Green Valley Ranch unless explicitly bargained with the Culinary and Bartenders Unions.”
