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Culinary cites Station 'police state' in sizzling attack
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Jessica Ebelhar/Las Vegas Review-Journal
From left, Ana Galo, Martin Enriquez and Teresa Enriquez react to speakers at a Culinary Local 226 press conference Monday at the union's headquarters on Commerce Street. At the conference. Culinary leaders commented on a recent ruling that allowed 83 claims of unfair labor practices against Station Casinos to proceed to a hearing by the full three-panel National Labor Relations Board. » Buy this photo
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Culinary Local 226 continued to ratchet up the rhetoric in its campaign to unionize workers at Station Casinos LLC.
D. Taylor, the union's secretary-treasurer, took the opportunity Monday to compare Station's treatment of its employees to life in a Middle Eastern police state.
Taylor, along with dozens of union officials, members and Station employees attended a news conference at the union's headquarters on Commerce Street. The conference was in response to Thursday's ruling allowing 83 claims of unfair labor practices against the company to proceed to a hearing by the full three-panel National Labor Relations Board.
Taylor noted that the judge had ordered Station to cease practices such as surveillance of employees to discover their union activities, denying work opportunities, punishing workers and threatening their jobs.
"Those are the characteristics of a police state ... not of a Nevada casino that has the privilege of a gaming license," Taylor said.
He also compared Station Casinos CEO Frank Fertitta III and VIce Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and ex-Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi for what he described as lying to the media about their employees' ability to unionize.
He pointed to a recent interview with Heavy MMA in which Lorenzo Fertitta said the decision to unionize at any time is "their choice," and that the company "had nothing to do with it."
Station officials dismissed Monday's event as a stunt.
"This made-for-TV event is just another example of the union trying to use the media to continue its campaign of harassment against Station Casinos," spokeswoman Lori Nelson said.
But union member Michael Wagner, a 15-year Station employee, said he expected the company to describe Monday's news conference as a media stunt.
"This isn't a stunt," Wagner said. "I've been intimidated and harassed because I put on a union button. The employees at Station want a union."
Among the 83 charges allowed to proceed was a complaint filed by Norma Flores, who has worked for 10 years at Fiesta Henderson. Administrative Law Judge Geoffrey Carter found she had been punished unfairly for her union activities.
"I'm fighting because I want a better future for my family and co-workers," Flores said. "They harassed me only because I tried to organize. We need respect."
Taylor and Culinary President Geoconda Arguello Kline described the ruling as a total loss for the company. He said the judge found more violations of federal law by Station than in any previous case against a Nevada gaming company.
The next step is for the NLRB to review the decision. Culinary officials expect the board to settle the matter by the end of next year.
Richard McCracken, counsel to the Culinary union, said that having a three-member NLRB, rather than the normal five members, slowed the process. He said he expects Station to take advantage of the process and try to delay, but the company is only "delaying the inevitable."
McCracken expects the union to file new charges within a couple of weeks.
Valerie Murzl, Station Casinos' senior vice president of human resources, expressed confidence that the NLRB's three-member panel would find the company hasn't violated any aspect of the National Labor Relations Act.
"This action isn't about the Culinary union protecting workers' rights, it's part of the union's campaign to try to force us to recognize the union without our (employees) being given the opportunity to vote in a secret ballot election," Murzl said.
Company officials are also quick to point out that from 1976 until February 2010, Station Casinos operated without any unfair labor claims filed against the company. The company had faced more than 400 charges in the original complaint, which were reduced to about 200 claims before the judge last week settled on 83.
Peter Pantaleo, a labor attorney with DLA Piper in New York, who represents the locals gaming company, said the remaining charges were "not even worth the price of admission."
Contact reporter Chris Sieroty at csieroty@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893.
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Ban unions. They are fundamentally corrupt another tenacles of the solialist left. Union are more responsible for idiots keeping their jobs than Obama
The employees there knew they were NOT UNION even before hire date, filling out their application etc...if it bothers them so much go get a job elsewhere! Their company has every right to NOT go union. I am pro Union myself but before in the past I always did my "homework" with any employer to see where they stood on these issues.
There is no such thing as a free lunch, Jim. Nothing you quoted could not be negotiated by a productive non union employee. Supply and demand my friend, if you arn't worth paid vacations and health care you shouldn't get it. Problem solved.
The Culinary should be under Federal investigation for racketeering. They are the ones that lie, intimidate and bully like a police state.
Stations offers excellent benefits that the Union can't match and without the cost of the Union having their hand in all their member's pockets.
The Union is misleading illiterate and under-educated minorities to try and achieve their way. They should be ashamed...but they've been doing it for so long they most certainly don't think twice about it.
Unions are why we have 40 hour work weeks, overtime, child labor laws, sick leave, paid vacation, etc..... If you want to show how much you are against unions, give up all of these.
Unions are scum. Probably the main reason unemployment is so high. Their entire platform revolves around being paid more than they would be worth themselves in a free market. You should be payed what you are worth, so more people have a chance of jobs. That is how an economy becomes more productive.
@ Justin.in.NLV,,, So are you saying that there isn’t huge numbers of illegal aliens using fake or stolen ID’s working in the casinos or members of the Culinary Union. Certainly E-Verify would help put an end to the questions. After all, the issue is real, especially in Vegas where we have a huge number of illegal aliens here, the vast majority of one ethnic group. When you openly mock citizens with your criminality and play a game of pick the illegal, and illegals and those supporting the criminals do everything possible to stop any ability to identify the criminals. We have a right to a little sarcasm toward this racist arrogance and mockery but your answer is, yes, some are U.S. citizens with rights and too bad they support a huge organized crime and racist operation invading our country.
Remember the Frontier and the culinary thugs beating tourists? Need we say more? They can't have a property paying better wages and benefits they they "negotiated" for their comrades.
to Robert.Weston ... So you are saying there is no possible way someone of Hispanic descent could ever possibly be an American citizen with rights????
The blame for the Station turning into a police state come down to who they have working as the head of security. Hiring former heads of Metro will always lead to this sort of thing. Remember, that fool once claimed "his men are best at determining guilt or innocence..." when that story broke of the shake downs Station security was doing to unruly customers.