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Station Casinos filed objections with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) this week, saying Culinary Union organizers tried to coerce Green Valley Ranch employees into voting to be represented by the union in an recent election.
In the election, held Nov. 8-9, workers at Green Valley Ranch voted to join the Culinary Workers local 226 and the Bartenders Union Local 165.
Station Casinos sent its objections about the election to NLRB officials in Las Vegas and in the NLRB regional headquarters in Phoenix as well as to a San Francisco law firm that represents the union.
In the first of Station’s objections, the company said union agents told employees that they had to “sign up” to vote and that they must vote “Yes.”
In addition, the company says union agents escorted eligible voters into the voting room, which prevented them from not voting had they wanted to decline, and prevented votes from being “in-secret, voluntary and anonymous.”
In an email about the objections sent to the Las Vegas Sun, Station Casinos President Richard Haskins said, “We recently filed objections to the conduct of the representation election held last week at Green Valley Ranch.
“The Culinary Union’s behavior in connection with the election was improper and unacceptable, rendering it impossible to conduct a free and fair secret-ballot election as required by law, to the detriment of our team members.”
The Culinary responding to Station’s objections by posting a statement on its website. In the statement, Geoconda Argüello-Kline, secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Union, quoted eight statements Station executives had made saying they would respect employees right to hold union elections.
“Green Valley Ranch workers voted by a landslide of 78 percent yes to unionize,” Argüello-Kline also said in the statement. “The vote was a clear mandate. We urge Station Casinos to recognize their employees’ voices and votes, and negotiate in good faith.”
Green Valley was the third local Station property to unionize. The union also represents workers at Palace Station and Boulder Station. This is also second time complaints have been filed concerning an Culinary/Station election.
In October last year, the union lost a unionization election at Palace Station. And in the wake of that loss, the union alleged that Station had violated the National Labor Relations Act during the election.
The dispute ended In March, after Cornele Overstreet, regional director of the National Labor Relations Board, began investigating the union’s objections and Stations agreed to union representation at Palace Station.