Workers at two Las Vegas-area properties operated by Station Casinos voted overwhelmingly last week to be represented by the Culinary and Bartenders unions.
The Fiesta Rancho in North Las Vegas and Sunset Station in Henderson became the fifth and sixth resorts owned by Station Casinos’ parent Red Rock Resorts where a majority of workers voted in favor negotiating with the unions in elections overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.
The two properties joined Boulder Station (September 2016), Palace Station (March 2017), Green Valley Ranch (November 2017) and Palms (April 2018) in voting for representation by Culinary Workers Local 226 and Bartenders Local 185. However, Station Casinos and Red Rock Resorts have yet to conduct contract negotiations.
In the votes, 85 percent of the workers who participated at Fiesta voted in favor of the representation and 83 percent of those who voted at Sunset Station supported unionization.
Culinary Secretary-Treasurer Geoconda Argüello-Kline said in a statement that workers “have spoken loud and clear that they want a union, fair wages, and good benefits like at other union casinos in Las Vegas and that they want to be treated fairly on the job.”
The Culinary and Bartenders unions are the Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, which represents more than 57,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno.
A spokesman for Station Casinos did not return an email Saturday seeking comment.
The unions cited numerous comments by Station Casino representatives over the years that the company would respect a vote overseen by the NLRB.
The Culinary began a public campaign in 2010 to organize the Station Casinos properties, which are primarily located in areas outside the Las Vegas Strip and cater to a large locals-based customer.
Station Casinos has long fought the organizing effort, which has included court battles over allegations the company had engaged in unfair labor practices. The Culinary cited a May ruling by the NLRB that the Palms “has unlawfully refused to recognize and bargain with the Culinary and Bartenders unions.” The Palms recently underwent a $600 million expansion and renovation.
Station Casinos other Las Vegas-area properties include Red Rock Resort, Santa Fe Station, Texas Station, and Fiesta Henderson.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
