Culinary wins right to card count at Rio

David Strow

Friday, Jan. 5, 2001 | 2:51 a.m.

The Culinary Union won a sudden victory in its bitter organizing battle at the Rio hotel-casino Friday when a state judge ordered the hotel-casino's parent company to conduct a "card check" at the off-Strip property.

The Culinary wants to represent about 2,400 employees at the Rio, a property owned by Harrah's Entertainment Inc. Though the Culinary had been recognized for some time at Harrah's Las Vegas on the Strip, Rio officials had refused to allow a card check at the property.

In a card check, employees sign cards stating that they want a certain union to represent them in collective bargaining agreements, and a company then recognizes the union if a majority of workers in a certain unit have signed such cards. Employees do not receive anonymity under card checks, as they do under National Labor Relations Board-supervised elections.

"If the union has obtained authorization cards from a majority of qualified employees, the union will become their collective bargaining representative," Harrah's said in a statement.

As collective bargaining agent for the workers, the Culinary could propose labor agreements. But there is no guarantee the Rio and the union will come to terms on a contract.

Harrah's spokesman Gary Thompson said the company does not plan to appeal the decision.

D. Taylor, staff director for the Culinary, expressed cautious optimism at the court's decision -- and hoped that the decision would mean the end of the Culinary's legal fights with Harrah's. Until the Rio battle, the Culinary and Harrah's enjoyed a cordial relationship.

"I think it's a significant step, but until a card check occurs, we do not have recognition," Taylor said. "It's a little premature to say (what the terms of a Rio contract) would be until a card check occurs."

The judge's order came in response to a Dec. 11 lawsuit by the Culinary, which asked the court to force the Rio to conduct a card check. Harrah's said a third party will conduct a card check as soon as possible, and the company will release the results when the check is complete.