Culinary Union Gets Knives Out For Station Casinos Again, Calls for Nevada License Investigation

  • The Culinary Union has issued a statement urging the NGCB to investigate Station Casinos
  • The union claims Station failed to stick to labor laws and has urged the NGCB to take action
  • Station Casinos has accused the union of “harassment […] thuggish attempts to intimidate”
  • A statement followed a letter sent to the NGCB last week, listing reasons for an investigation
Sunset Station Hotel and Casino
The Culinary Union is going after one of its chief enemies again, calling on the NGCB to investigate Station Casinos’ suitability to hold a Nevada gaming license. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Old foes at it again

Old adversaries the Culinary Union and Station Casinos are locking horns again in Nevada.

failing to adhering [sic] to federal labor law.”

The trade union released a press release Wednesday urging the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) to investigate the suitability of Station Casinos “for failing to adhering [sic] to federal labor law.”

The Culinary Union took to Twitter Thursday with a press release link prefaced by its official request for the NGCB to probe Station Casino’s “privileged” gaming licenses for its Nevada casinos.

The union’s new secretary-treasurer, Ted Pappageorge, said his body was “confident” the NGCB “will want to take action against Station Casinos […] and its affiliated disregard of federal law.” Pappageorge cited ample documentation and evidence of Station’s alleged breaches of the law.

thuggish attempts to intimidate Station Casinos”

A Station Casinos spokesperson fired back via email, questioning the union’s alleged inability to “win the hearts and minds of our team members.” The Culinary Union “just continue with their harassment and their thuggish attempts to intimidate Station Casinos,” the email read.

The news comes just months after Station accused the union of “harassment” over its Durango casino project.

Reasons go back to 2012

According to KLAS-TV, the union has stepped up criticism against Station since Pappageorge took over the reins. In its Wednesday press release, the union reiterated its reasons for urging the NGCB to take Station to task. A letter sent to NGCB executives on March 17 presented those reasons, many going back years.

The earliest reason given is a 2012 ruling by the Nevada Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that Station “committed widespread violations of law.”   

The latest reason comes from October 2021. It references an NLRB judge who found Station at fault for engaging in “contumacious” or wilfully disobedient behavior by not responding fully to the NLRB’s federal subpoena.

The Culinary Union also alleges Station used the pandemic to undermine its support from employees.

In June 2020, Governor Steve Sisolak signed the Culinary Union’s right to return bill into law. Station’s parent firm Red Rock Resorts opposed the legislation, which gave casino and hotel workers laid off during the pandemic first shot at jobs as the sector starting hiring again.

Over to the regulatory bodies

In its latest assault on Station, the Culinary Union secretary-treasurer pulled no punches.

“No one has a right to a revocable, privileged Nevada gaming license — gaming regulators have a duty to make sure license-holders, like Station Casinos, are always operating in a way befitting Nevada’s gold standard of gaming industry regulation,” Pappageorge said.

Courts have favored the Culinary Union several times. Late last year, an injunction issued by US District Court Judge Navarro stated the NLRB would likely rule that Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa breached federal labor law in its campaign to beat the union in an election.

The NGC meets April 21 in Las Vegas, while the NGCB meets April 6-7 in Carson City.

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