The ongoing dispute between Station Casinos and the Culinary Union in Las Vegas has escalated, reaching the US Supreme Court. On September 4, Chief Justice John Roberts denied Station's request for a stay on a federal appeals court decision that mandated the Red Rock Casino Resort Spa comply with a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling requiring good faith bargaining with the union following a failed labor vote in late 2019. Roberts did not provide any rationale for his decision.
The NLRB ruled that Red Rock had taken actions that undermined a fair union vote, a contention that led to Red Rock's lawsuit against the board's decision. However, a month prior, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the NLRB ruling. Following this, the court denied Red Rock's motion for rehearing on August 6 and subsequently rejected Station's request for a stay on August 24.
While Red Rock has the option to petition the Supreme Court for further consideration, the casino is currently obliged to adhere to the NLRB's order. This includes recognizing and negotiating with the union upon its request, posting notices regarding employee rights, and implementing other mandated actions.
Station Casinos responded by asserting that the NLRB's decision overturned the vote of Red Rock’s employees, which had rejected union representation. "The decision prevents any company from granting benefits to its employees if it is aware of union interest in organizing, nullifying the Red Rock team members’ vote to remain union-free, all because Station Casinos treated its team members too well," the company stated.
The friction between Station and the Culinary Union spans several years, marked by public disputes, regulatory complaints, and legal challenges. A pivotal moment occurred during the December 2019 election at Red Rock. On November 19, just days before the vote, Station's leadership announced a significant employee benefits overhaul for all 14,000 employees across ten properties. Two days later, Culinary, which represents employees at seven other Station properties, filed a petition to represent the workers at Red Rock.
In December 2019, the employees at Red Rock voted against the union, with a tally of 627 to 534. However, the NLRB and the appeals court determined that Red Rock had acted to hinder a fair election process. The timing of the benefits announcement relative to the union petition has been a contentious issue ever since.
In recent years, the Culinary Union has gained traction despite Station's firm opposition. The Las Vegas Strip is fully unionized now, and Culinary has successfully used city-wide strikes to negotiate multi-year labor agreements with major operators such as Wynn, Caesars, and MGM.
During this time, Las Vegas Sands, a significant non-union player, lost its anti-union stance after its Venetian-Palazzo property was sold to Apollo Global Management in 2021. This transition led to the ratification of the property’s first-ever agreement with Culinary in 2024.
The conflict has taken on political dimensions with the Fertitta family, owners of Station Casinos, being notable Republican donors, while Culinary aligns with Democratic candidates. Last month, former President Donald Trump held a rally at Red Rock, praising the Fertittas as a "beautiful family." In contrast, the Culinary Union criticized the event and the Fertitta family's support of Trump and Nevada's Republican Governor Joe Lombardo.
Culinary Union expressed its concerns, stating, "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."
