Slot machine technicians at Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, are seeking a vote on whether to remove the presence of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 501 from their workplace, according to a press release from nonprofit National Right to Work. Maintenance workers at Palms Casino, which Red Rock Resorts sold to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians last year, are also attempting to get a vote on whether to remove IUOE and International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) officials from their workplace.
The first petition was submitted to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by Red Rock technician Jereme Barrios, with legal aid from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, which describes itself as a charitable organization with the mission “to eliminate coercive union power and compulsory unionism abuses” through strategic litigation.
According to the organization, Barrios’ petition for a union decertification vote contains the signatures of “a large majority” of slot machine technicians at the casino, above the percentage NLRB rules as required to trigger a vote. Barring any delays, the vote would be held in April, at the venue.
The request for a vote comes as members of Red Rock hospitality and food service staff, led by employee Raynell Teske, seek to ditch representation of Culinary Union; and as Thomas Stallings and some of his fellow maintenance workers at Palms Casino in Vegas attempt to get a vote on whether to remove IUOE and International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) from their workplace.
Stallings’ request argues that NLRB Region 28 Director Cornele Overstreet is leaving him and his coworkers trapped under an unpopular union despite the new NLRB rules regarding “blocking charges,” and despite the fact the unions’ accusations against the employer relate to other unions besides those involved in his case, and to other bargaining units having nothing to do with the 19-person maintenance unit involved in his case.
“Las Vegas union officials likely believe they can violate workers’ free choice rights without any consequences, as it seems ‘the union house always wins’ at NLRB Region 28,” said National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix. “Mr. Barrios, Ms. Teske, and Mr. Stallings are standing up for themselves and their coworkers by opposing unpopular union bosses. Foundation attorneys will fight to make sure their voices are heard even though the deck may seem to be stacked against independent-minded workers.”
Teske is leading an effort to reverse a union representation decision. A panel of judges on the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in November an order from U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro requiring Station Casinos to bargain with Culinary Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165 until a federal labor board makes a ruling on the dispute. The Culinary Union has been trying to unionize Station properties for a number of years now.
According to National Right to Work, Navarro’s order in July 2021 came despite “the fact that a majority of hospitality and foodservice employees voted to reject union officials’ efforts to install themselves at the casino,” thus “imposing unionization” despite Teske and her coworkers’ objections.
A Culinary representative said the union “stands with the IUOE Local 501 and against the efforts of the Washington D.C.-area based National Right to Work Legal Foundation to interfere in Las Vegas labor matters,” according to Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“As far as the Culinary Union election at Red Rock Casino, Judge Navarro ruled that Red Rock had committed violations of labor law that were so egregious that an injunction and bargaining order was required,” Culinary spokeswoman Bethany Khan said. “The Culinary Union is confident that Judge Navarro was right and her ruling will continue to stand on appeal.”
