Federal agency files labor complaint against Binion’s

Grace Leong

Monday, Feb. 3, 2003 | 10:50 a.m.

The National Labor Relations Board filed an unfair labor practices complaint Friday on behalf of the Culinary Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 against downtown Las Vegas' Binion's Horseshoe hotel-casino.

The NLRB, after an investigation of charges filed on Nov. 27 by the unions, accused Binion's of failing to sign a collective bargaining agreement it allegedly reached with the unions on July 1, 2002.

Binion's was also accused of failing to make contributions on behalf of up to 500 hotel-casino workers -- including waiters, waitresses, porters, housekeepers and bellhops -- to the Culinary's health and welfare funds for medical insurance and pension plans.

"Even though Binion's is delinquent on its health and welfare payments for its workers, the union's health care fund is still continuing to provide coverage to its union members. Our members won't have money deducted from their paychecks to pay for coverage," Glen Arnodo, Culinary's political director, said.

Arnodo could not specifically say how long Binion's has been delinquent on its contributions nor how much is owed to the union's health and welfare funds.

Meanwhile, the Gaming Control Board is investigating the NLRB's complaint and "several other issues" at Binion's Horseshoe. The agency declined to identify the other issues.

"We are aware and we are looking at it," said Keith Copher, chief of the board's enforcement division.

Becky Behnen, Binion's owner, could not be reached for comment on the union's allegations or the Control Board investigation.

The NLRB filed another complaint on July 30, 2002, against Binion's over its alleged wrongful termination of 24 poker dealers over a pay dispute in the middle of the World Series of Poker championship rounds.

The firings came after a group of dealers threatened to walk out unless Behnen guaranteed that the 125 championship event dealers would receive at least $94,650 in tips. "The company can't fire these dealers for engaging in protected concerted activities," Stephen Wamser, the NLRB's deputy regional attorney, said.

Wamser said the parties reached a private settlement that included Binion's agreement to compensate the fired workers and not discriminate against their applications for future work with the hotel-casino.

Speculation that Binion's was in financial trouble heightened last year after the downtown casino lost a round in April in a battle with the Fremont Street Experience over allegedly unpaid bills to the light show attraction. This was followed by a filing of a lawsuit by a group of investors that claimed the downtown casino owed $126,000 in rent payments for a parcel within the property and demanded the casino's eviction from the property.