The ongoing conflict between Station Casinos and the Culinary Union in Las Vegas has escalated as the issue now reaches the US Supreme Court. On September 4, Chief Justice John Roberts rejected Station’s emergency request to pause a federal appeals court ruling, mandating that the company's Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Summerlin engage in good faith negotiations with the union after a disputed labor vote in late 2019. Roberts provided no explanation for this decision.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) determined that Red Rock interfered with the election process to obstruct a fair vote. Consequently, Station Casinos challenged the ruling but lost its case when the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the NLRB’s decision last month. Following the denial of a rehearing request on August 6, the court also dismissed Station’s plea for a stay while seeking relief from the Supreme Court on August 24.
Although Red Rock can still ask the Supreme Court to take on the case, the current situation requires compliance with the NLRB's ruling. This includes recognizing the union upon request, posting employee rights notices, and implementing other measures stipulated by the NLRB.
In a response, Station Casinos asserted, "The NLRB 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."
The conflict between Station and Culinary has been ongoing and heated, encompassing media exchanges, complaints to Nevada regulators, and multiple court battles. The December 2019 election has emerged as a significant event in this rivalry.
On November 19, 2019, Station announced a benefits overhaul affecting all 14,000 employees across ten properties. Just two days later, Culinary, which represents workers at several Station locations including Red Rock, sought to organize workers at that casino.
In December, Red Rock employees cast a vote against unionization, resulting in 627 votes against to 534 in favor. However, both the NLRB and the D.C. appeals court found evidence of the company’s actions interfering with a fair vote. Central to this dispute are the timing of the benefits announcement and the union's petition for representation.
Station’s Supreme Court filing highlights the view that the benefits were introduced independently before the unionization efforts, but also notes the District Court's conclusion that these actions influenced the election.
Despite Station's resistance to the Culinary Union, the organization has gained traction in recent years. It has successfully unionized the entire Las Vegas Strip and recently used citywide strikes to negotiate new multi-year agreements with major operators such as Wynn, Caesars, and MGM.
Station Casinos remained a prominent non-union employer for years, alongside Las Vegas Sands. However, the sale of the Venetian-Palazzo to Apollo Global Management in 2021 led to the ratification of the property’s first union contract in 2024.
The divisive nature of the conflict has also spilled into politics. Owned by the Fertitta family, Station Casinos has a history of contributing to Republican causes, while Culinary traditionally supports Democratic candidates.
Last month, former President Donald Trump attended a rally at Red Rock, praising the Fertittas as a "beautiful family". In contrast, Culinary condemned the event and criticized the Fertittas for their support of Trump and Nevada's Republican Governor Joe Lombardo, questioning the governor's alignment with Station Casinos over the interests of unionized workers.
Culinary Union stated, "As Lombardo runs for re-election in a state built and run by unionized hospitality workers, Culinary Union demands 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."
