The ongoing conflict between Station Casinos and the Culinary Union has escalated this month, reaching the halls of the U.S. Supreme Court. On September 4, Chief Justice John Roberts rejected Station's emergency plea to stay a federal appeals court ruling mandating the Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Summerlin engage in good faith negotiations with the union, following a failed union election in late 2019. Roberts provided no rationale for the denial.
This ruling from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) concluded that Red Rock impeded a fair election process, prompting legal action from the casino. Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the NLRB's findings. After the court denied Station’s request for a rehearing on August 6, it subsequently rejected a request to delay proceedings on August 24 pending a Supreme Court review.
While Red Rock has the option to petition the Supreme Court for a case hearing, it is currently required to adhere to the NLRB's ruling, which includes recognizing and negotiating with the union if requested, posting employee rights notices, and implementing additional measures.
Station Casinos commented on the NLRB's ruling, stating, "The decision overturned the clear vote of Red Rock team members rejecting the Culinary Union. The decision prevents any company from granting benefits to its employees if it is aware of union interest in unionizing the company’s employees and nullifies the Red Rock team members’ vote to be union-free, all because Station Casinos treated its team members too well."
As of now, the Culinary Union has chosen not to comment.
The 2019 election at Red Rock has marked a critical moment in the long-standing dispute between the two entities. On November 19, 2019, Station announced a major benefits overhaul for its 14,000 employees across ten properties. Just two days later, the Culinary Union, which represents workers in seven other Station properties, moved to represent workers at Red Rock.
In December of that year, Red Rock employees voted against unionization with a 627-534 outcome. However, both the NLRB and the D.C. appeals court determined that the company's actions compromised the election's fairness. The debate over the timing of the benefits rollout relative to the union petition has been a focal point in subsequent legal proceedings. The District Court concluded that the timing was designed to hinder the union's organizing efforts, compelling Red Rock to recognize and negotiate with the Culinary Union while awaiting completion of the legal proceedings.
The Culinary Union's influence has strengthened in recent years, especially as the Las Vegas Strip became fully unionized. In the late months of 2023 and early 2024, the union orchestrated citywide strikes that yielded new multi-year labor agreements with major operators including Wynn, Caesars, and MGM.
Station Casinos, led by the Fertitta family—known for their significant contributions to Republican campaigns—remains among the few non-union holdouts in the area along with Las Vegas Sands, which recently ratified its first union deal with the Culinary Union after its Venetian-Palazzo property was sold to Apollo Global Management in 2021.
The clash has taken on political dimensions; after U.S. President Donald Trump visited Las Vegas, he endorsed the Fertitta family at a rally held at Red Rock. In contrast, the Culinary Union criticized their support for Trump and Nevada's Republican Governor Joe Lombardo, declaring, "As Lombardo runs for re-election in a state built and run by unionized hospitality workers, Culinary Union is demanding to know why the governor stands with Station Casinos and Trump’s harmful economic agenda instead of fighting and delivering for the working people who power Nevada’s economy."
