New complaint filed against casino

Monday, Aug. 14, 2000 | 10:56 a.m.

Four Las Vegas unions filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against the Santa Fe hotel-casino, following the property's failure to implement a wage increase the union says it agreed to several weeks ago.

On July 14, the four unions -- the Culinary Union, Teamsters, Bartenders and Operating Engineers -- said they accepted a contract proposal made by the Santa Fe in January. The proposal had a three-year term, and was to raise wages between 15 percent to 25 percent for 750 workers.

The union said the proposal became effective on their acceptance, but the Santa Fe later denied the existence of any contract and failed to implement the raises in the latest series of paychecks.

As a result, the unions charged Thursday that the Santa Fe "has failed and refused to bargain in good faith by ... refusing to implement the parties' agreed-upon collective bargaining agreement."

The complaint is the latest in a string of complaints brought by the Culinary Union against the Santa Fe in its eight-year organizing struggle at the northwest Las Vegas property.

On July 31, the NLRB filed a series of new complaints against the property. In the updated complaint, the NLRB charged that Santa Fe employee Monica Johnson was reprimanded and later suspended for complaining about the property's wages, hours and working conditions in a Dec. 23, 1999, letter. The letter also requested that the Santa Fe not rehire a former supervisor because of alleged poor treatment of employees.

The NLRB complaint further charged that a Santa Fe official "interrogated its employees concerning their concerted activities" after the Johnson letter was filed.

A hearing on the NLRB complaint will be held in Las Vegas on Sept. 12.