The longstanding conflict between Station Casinos and the Culinary Union in Las Vegas has escalated this month, reaching the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC. On September 4, Chief Justice John Roberts rejected Station's emergency plea for a stay against a federal appeals court ruling compelling the company's Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Summerlin to engage in good faith bargaining with the union after a failed labor vote in late 2019. Roberts did not provide an explanation for his decision.
According to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Red Rock acted to undermine a fair union vote, prompting the casino to sue the board. This ruling was upheld last month by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Following a denial of Station's rehearing request on August 6, the court also declined to grant a stay on August 24 while awaiting Supreme Court intervention.
Red Rock may still choose to petition the Supreme Court for a hearing, which the court may accept. However, until that happens, the casino is obligated to comply with the NLRB's ruling, which mandates the recognition of the union upon request, the posting of employee rights notices, and other measures.
"The NLRB decision overturned the clear vote of Red Rock team members rejecting the Culinary Union," a company spokesperson stated. "The decision prevents any company from granting benefits to its employees if it is aware of union interest in forming a union and nullifies the Red Rock team members’ vote to remain union-free, all because Station Casinos treated its team members too well."
The Culinary Union declined to comment on the situation.
The roots of this dispute run deep, featuring media clashes, regulatory complaints, and various court challenges over the years. A pivotal moment came in December 2019, when Red Rock employees voted against unionization by a margin of 627 to 534, shortly after Station had announced enhanced benefits for all 14,000 staff across its ten properties on November 19. The timing of the benefits rollout alongside the unionization petition has remained contentious.
Station's Supreme Court petition highlights that while the enhanced benefits were initiated prior to the union's recognition request, the District Court ruled that these measures were intended to thwart the union’s organizing efforts, thereby ordering Red Rock to acknowledge and negotiate with the union during the board's administrative proceedings.
Despite Station's resistance, the Culinary Union has seen notable success in recent years, achieving unionization across the entire Las Vegas Strip. The union leveraged city-wide strikes late in 2023 and early 2024 to secure multi-year labor agreements with major operators such as Wynn, Caesars, and MGM.
Station Casinos and Las Vegas Sands were the last significant non-union establishments in the area. However, following Apollo Global Management's acquisition of the Venetian-Palazzo in 2021, they agreed to a deal with Culinary in 2024, marking a significant shift.
Political dimensions have also emerged over time, as Station's ownership under the Fertitta family aligns with Republican interests, while Culinary tends to support Democratic candidates. Most recently, former President Donald Trump held a rally at Red Rock last month, praising the Fertittas as a "beautiful family." Concurrently, Culinary criticized the event and the Fertittas' affiliations with Trump and Nevada's Republican Governor Joe Lombardo, questioning why he sides with them instead of advocating for Nevada's unionized hospitality labor force.
The dynamics of this ongoing conflict illustrate the complex interplay of labor relations, politics, and community responses in Las Vegas.
