Station Casino employees file petition to leave union

The unions in question claim the casino has unlawfully withdrawn recognition.

US.- Employees at Boulder Station Hotel and Casino have filed a petition to leave the culinary and bartenders Unions they joined in 2016.

The two unions, Culinary Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165, meanwhile, have filed a complaint against Boulder Station, claiming that the casino has withdrawn union recognition unlawfully.

A spokesperson for the casino said: “As a reminder, Station Casinos did not reject the union. Boulder Station team members did. And this was done by a grassroots campaign of their own.

“It is time for Culinary Workers Union Local 226 to immediately recognise and respect our Team Members democratically made decision to reject the union at Boulder Station.”

A majority of workers in Boulder Station voted for the unionisation of their workplace back in 2016, but a contract between the union and the casino was never signed. This has meant that staff could not receive any of the proposed benefits.

Employees have been unable to access the unions’ healthcare plan or retirement benefits. Some were reportedly also unhappy with the union’s intermediation between staff and the casino operator.

One worker said employees began the petition after being pleased with how their employer handled the coronavirus pandemic, saying: “The majority of us feel that there’s no need for the union in this place. [The company’s] doing right by us.”

However, the casino’s parent company revealed last month that four of its properties in Las Vegas may never reopen following the impact of the pandemic.