Casino workers must re-apply with Station

Wednesday, July 5, 2000 | 10:50 a.m.

Station Casinos Inc. has informed current Santa Fe employees that they will be required to re-apply for their jobs once Station's $205 million acquisition of the northwest Las Vegas casino is complete.

In an information page for Santa Fe employees posted to Station's website, Station said that "no job applicant is ever guaranteed employment with Station Casinos," but added that it hopes all current employees will re-apply. Prior service at Santa Fe "will not alone qualify or disqualify" job candidates, the company said.

"Station Casinos cannot incorporate the Santa Fe into its family of properties by continuing to operate the Santa Fe as it was under its former owners and management," the website said. "Station Casinos did not acquire the Santa Fe ... to simply maintain the status quo at the Santa Fe. Rather, it was Station's intention in acquiring a pre-existing property to transform that property into a Station Casinos-level property."

Glenn Christenson, chief financial officer of Station, said the re-application procedure is similar to the course Station has followed with past property acquisitions.

"Under federal law, the Santa Fe had to issue (such) notices, because the property as it exists today is going out of business," said Glenn Christenson, chief financial officer for Station. "What we did was simply tried to be sensitive to employee needs for information."

Christenson said Station hasn't decided yet whether the property will be temporarily closed following the Station takeover.

The pay rates to be offered to Santa Fe employees has also not been determined, Station said. The company plans to begin accepting applications later this month, and will establish an employment center for current employees.

The Culinary Union, having won a 1993 National Labor Relations Board election, is currently seeking to represent nearly 800 workers at the Santa Fe. Both Culinary officials and Station officials have said previously that Station would be required to honor the results of this election only if a majority of Santa Fe employees are retained.

Culinary officials were travelling today and could not be reached for comment.