The longstanding conflict between Station Casinos and the Culinary Union in Las Vegas reached a new stage this month as it escalated to the US Supreme Court. On September 4, Chief Justice John Roberts denied an emergency request from Station for a stay against a decision by a federal appeals court that mandated the company’s Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Summerlin to engage in good faith negotiations with the union following a failed labor vote in late 2019. No reason was provided for Roberts’ denial.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) had concluded that Red Rock took measures to hinder a fair union vote, prompting the appeal from Red Rock. The ruling was supported by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, which upheld it last month. Following the court's refusal to rehear the case on August 6, it also declined Station’s request for a stay pending Supreme Court review on August 24.
While Red Rock retains the option to petition the Supreme Court for a hearing, the NLRB’s ruling, which requires the casino to recognize the union and negotiate upon request, remains in effect. This ruling also mandates the posting of employee rights notices and other necessary actions.
Station Casinos responded, stating, "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." Culinary Union did not provide comments to iGB on Wednesday.
A pivotal moment in this rivalry occurred in December 2019, when Station and Culinary exchanged barbs publicly and raised complaints with Nevada regulators, culminating in a number of court challenges. That election saw Red Rock employees vote against unionization by a margin of 627 to 534 after Station introduced a benefits overhaul for its 14,000 employees across ten properties. Two days before the election, Culinary filed a petition to represent workers at Red Rock.
The NLRB and the appeals court have both asserted that Red Rock's timeline concerning the benefits rollout and the unionization petition compromised the integrity of the election. Station's petition to the Supreme Court claims that the benefits were introduced prior to the union's recognition attempt, but the District Court determined that their rollout was intended to deter union organizing efforts.
As Station has maintained its opposition to Culinary, the union has made progress elsewhere, securing labor deals with various major operators on the Las Vegas Strip. Culinary has celebrated the completion of city-wide strikes as it gained multi-year agreements with Wynn, Caesars, and MGM.
Another major holdout, Las Vegas Sands, finally recognized its first contract with Culinary in 2024, following the sale of the Venetian-Palazzo to Apollo Global Management in 2021.
The feud has also gained a political dimension over the years. Station Casinos, owned by the Fertitta family, has been known for its alignment with Republican donors. In contrast, Culinary is primarily Democratic and supports more left-leaning candidates. During a visit to Las Vegas last month, former President Donald Trump hosted a rally at Red Rock, praising the Fertittas as a "beautiful family.” Culinary quickly responded by criticizing the Fertittas for their support of Trump and Nevada's Republican Governor, Joe Lombardo.
Culinary asserted, "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."
