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Published Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010 | 9:08 a.m.
Updated Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010 | 12:09 p.m.
Station Casinos Inc. and the Culinary Union traded barbs today over the union’s effort to organize Station workers.
The Culinary Union said it filed an unfair labor practice charge against the company with the National Labor Relations Board alleging more than 100 incidents of threatening, surveilling, assaulting and intimidating workers for their union activities.
Culinary Local 226 also said hundreds of Station workers formed an organizing committee and have called on the company to "agree to a fair process for workers to form a union free from management interference, intimidation and harassment.''
The union complained a management-led buyout in November 2007 paid Station Casinos insiders $660 million and that since then hundreds of jobs have been lost as the company subcontracted its coffee shops and its uniform department to outside operators.
Station, now operating under bankruptcy protection, has also cut hours, made permanent layoffs, suspended workers’ 401(k) match and raised employees’ health insurance premiums, the union complained.
Other hotel-casino operators, both union and nonunion, have implemented similar cost-cutting measures during the recession.
Scott Nielson, executive vice president and chief development officer at Station, said the company was unaware of any charges filed by the union.
"We recognize and respect our team members’ right to be represented by a union if that’s what they choose to do, but we’re amazed that the union leadership has decided to expend its members’ dues in attempting to organize our team members instead of trying to find jobs for the thousands of Culinary Union members who have been laid off during this recession," Nielson said.
"The facts demonstrate that the Culinary Union has not, and cannot, provide job security for its own members and it’s disingenuous at best for them to tell our team members that they can provide job security for them," he said.
Station has previously responded about union charges concerning the 2007 buyout.
After the union issued a report critical of the buyout, Station responded Nov. 19 by saying: "What the union leaders fail to point out in their `report’ is that the Fertitta family reinvested nearly $900 million in the company as part of the transaction to take the company private, demonstrating their commitment to Station Casinos and the community."
Unions Suck!
....Unions suck? A Union is created BY the people, FOR the people. They're fighting to keep Nevada jobs for local residents with protection of a fair rate without harassment! What sucks about that? Station casinos spent tons of money to hire a management company to control the bussiness, when that money could of gone towards our families!
Unions will only be as good as the people want them to be.If you don't get involved and stand up for your rights, don't complain about what's right or wrong with unions.
Station Casinos Inc. have driven their properties into bankrucpty thru piss poor management and personal greed.
Locals should avoid Station properties like the plague.
Lets start with the fact that being a union member did not save the jobs of over 13000 people in las vegas casinos. Nor did it keep benefits, or any thing else for those same people. Lets continue with the fact, that Unions have tried and failed for many years to unionize Stations, considering the time they have been in operation, that should say something for their management style. Station Casinos is the largest single gaming company in Las Vegas, it caters to locals, both in business and staff, and had the fewest layoffs. Stations is a great place to work, and is still the best company in Vegas to work for. Keep in mind that Statons has been around for 30 plus years and has a very loyal Team member base. Before everyone starts critisizing Stations for doing the same things every other comapny in Vegas did, remember the only reason they are being critisized is because they are not union. All the other companies who downsized and layed off permanantly, and cut benefits did the same thing, but are union. Hmmmm go figure. Sounds to me in my personal opinion that the unions, who are a business just like Stations and are in it to make money, just like Stations, and needs Stations team members to keep profits up. Wow, sounds like its more about money than actually wanting to help us Team members. They critisize management salaries, lets see numbers on their mangement salaries and bonuses, while their "members" are struggling to feed their families. Lets see what their management track record is. What do they actually know about running a casino? What highly trained personell do they have that actually understands this business? Stations trains their staff members all the time and offers it "gasp" for free! can the union say that? I think not. Here is my bid.. Unions stay the h*ll out of my business. I dont need you. go back to the teamsters and the steel mills, and construction trades where you dont protect them either from layoffs and strikes and paycheck and benefit loss. What have you done for them lately in the wake of all the layoffs?
___A very happy "Team Member" of Station Casinos___
Then stage a walkout.
Union workers are akin to Marxist commune workers. The union/commune accomplishes very little except to take their money (fees).
In my experience, unions reward laziness and kill innovation. I think they cause a lot of problems in our state, especially when the gaming isn't booming. I've just had very negative experiences with them, and I think they're holding our state back. That's very much an opinion, but it is based on experience.
Great comments, skyeryder! Great to hear from someone with current experience with the issue being discussed. I did some work with Station for a very short time, but not enough to comment on them, specifically. And it was a long time ago. But I have heard good things about them from the employees. Of course, there will always be a good % of people that complain about any job/company, but I seem to hear more good about Station from their employees than any other gaming group. I do feel that unions are largely a con, and the leaders take advantage of their members.
The pitiful and desperate Culinary Union will stop at nothing to "control" Las Vegas. Godspeed to the owners of the Stations. It good to see someone standing their ground and not giving in to threats.
Unions are not for the people - I don't know many times in my line of work I've heard of people going to the Union for help or to ask a question - and the Union dismisses them and refers them back to the employer instead of taking the time to help them out. Unions are a business! And not very customer service orientated either.
"threatening, surveilling, assaulting and intimidating workers": No wonder the UNION is PO'ed thats their job!
The companies create the Unions.
Most of these comments must be written by people who know nothing about a union. Do you really think the pay and benefits at places like the Station Casinos and Venetian would be what they are without the Culinary Union in this town? Do you really think Stations pays comparable wages because they think their employees deserve it? Without the Culinary Union , Stations would be paying minimum wage (just ask a dealer). Instead of disrespecting the Culinary Union, you should be thanking them.
Interesting point, fredflintstone. For sure the union workers/benefits have had an impact on compensation, even in non-union places like Station. I personally just think the natural market forces would have created a similar result. More demand for qualified workers + low supply = increased wages/benefits when times are good. Right now, the companies aren't able to make the same adjustments in the opposite direction, which makes our economy/businesses less efficient. If the market shows that dealers should only make minimum wage, then so be it. The smart people that settled for being a dealer might use their brains for purposes that are more beneficial to the economy/community. Then we start having a more diversified economy, not so dependent on gaming, and we don't have a 20% unemployment rate when gaming is down. I'm an idealist, so that's how I'd like to see things play out.
My biggest problem with the way many union contracts are structured is that there's no benefit for people that choose to work harder, and be more innovative, than the other workers. That's why I say it rewards laziness and punishes innovation and hard work. In many cases, they're going to get the same % raise anyway, so why work hard or come up with good ideas? I also don't like how in many unions, layoffs are solely based on seniority, not on who is the most efficient/hardest worker. It just doesn't allow for the economy to weed out the lazy/incompetent people, and more importantly, reward the hard working, smart people. I've heard so many times how an older, less effective employee stays and a younger, more ambitious/effective employee is cut. I just think of what we're missing out on by having some of these rules in place.
(Not the topic being discussed here, but I think this is especially true for teachers.)
You made a good point, though.
Does the union tell you how many people lost there jobs on the strip they couldn't help.
Do they tell you that even if you don't sign a union card you don't have to pay union dues but you still get the benefits. NO they wont tell you that they want there MONEY
the union does not suck!& they are deffinatly not all about their money! what the station casinos rep said is so invalid why is it the unions fault their job is lost? if people are not spending money at the casinos theres not that many jobs so they get laid off with unemployment when jobs pick up they will be called back by seniority and they still have 4 months insurance after they lost their job do stations offer that? no your laid off?... chances are you'll never get called back. station casinos suck they don't care about their people someone i know has been there for 20 years her hours get cut more than fellow workers who have been there less time. theres absolutly no loyalty or appreciation for what they do
GO UNION!!!!!!
unions killed the auto industry, don't let them kill our main industry as well
Unions invest no money in any business. First they get in, then they start telling the managers how to run the business. Just ask Oscar Goodman, He's trying to layoff 171 people from the city workforce. He would like to keep them working IF the union will okay an 8 percent pay cut. If the union says no then the 171 will be gone. The tail is wagging the dog.
I've been a union member for years and the comment of a strike or walkout only hurts the employee and not the company. I've seen companies close there doors on a friday and reopen on monday under a different name thus eliminating all jobs. One thing to point out, is that when the union boss's call for a strike who does it hurt. The member !!! The member loses wages but the boss's still draw their paycheck everyweek. You can never gain back what you've lost.
As someone who has intently dealt with Station Casinos unemployment policies and procedures, I seriously almost have a coronary when I hear blatantly ignorant comments from Union sympathizers or common folks who don't know how the HR side of businesses and unions operate. First off analyze the out sourcing of the Cafe's in Stations. All hourly employees were given a 2 month (60) day paid severance and kept their company insurance for 2 months (60) days. When Denny's/Coco's took control those same employees were given the first option of employment. What Union has ever offered this gracious of a layoff/termination to even the lowest level employee/member? On a day to day basis the Unions are a joke and often through a CBA eliminate current employee rights provided by the federal government. The best aspect of a being a Union member is the retirement. There is no doubt that a Union style pension trumps almost every other alternative. As seen by the current state of the 401k program.
The Teamsters built Las vegas unions made the middle class
The Culinary Union has proven, once again, how devious and desperate they are in their fruitless attempts to organize even a portion of Stations Team Members. They've recruited (bought) our company's biggest screw-ups to wear their stupid buttons (C'mon, "Team Leader"? You guys couldn't lead schoolkids in the Pledge of Allegiance!) and harassed us and our families for years (even before the worst economic times in our company's history). Now that Stations seems to be pulling out of this bankruptcy mire, the weasels who have been brain-washed by the Culinary Union are literally hiding from their employer and co-workers! Keep your collective heads down, guys, and your tails between your legs! I'm sure sell-outs like you can find excellent employment somewhere other than Stations.
(Hey, probably not, but I thought you might need a little encouragement in your hour of need; After all, you did the same for the rest of us, right?)
When the economy gets bad the unions get bashed along with the teachers ,cops ,mailmen and other public employees.People term them members of some sort of communist conspiracy or recipients of some entitlement program.Dont forget a lot of people who belong to professional associations and a lot of groups who have big lobbys.These guys dont like admit it but they have a union also.
Why don't we all work for minimum wage and let the rich get richer you right wing idiots. They vote the minimum wage down all the time. Starvation wages are great!!!!!!!
The Unions need money,now they are going to start sueing.
Why would anyone pay for there jobs each week.
I hope that Station Casinos fire all you jerkoffs. They have did nothing but bend over backwards to try and help you. I think you know who you are if you can read this. What the hell do you want them to do for you.
This is putting a strain on the whole company, and I hope each and everyone of your asses is termed. You scumbag degenerates.
Good day:
All you good union people make sure you vote for Sue Lowden.
As a proud culinary union member for 7 years, I will attempt to educate you union haters the difference between stations casinos and the union casinos. First and foremost is job security. In this economy there have been layoffs for all casinos, but in a union casino there is a process in place to deal with the layoffs. Layoffs are done by house seniority, and call backs are done by classification seniority. If we didnt have a contract what would stop the companies from laying off the most senior union employees? After all, they have the most paid vacation. 4 weeks after 12 years. Another thing is the outsourcing of restaurants, bars, etc. I know for a fact that dennys/cocos is paying cooks $2 and hour less than they made in the coffe shops in stations. They also dont have a benefit package. When an outlet is closed in a union casino, if the space was running union employess before, then the new tennant would have have to hire the workers affected by the previous closing. There are also protections for changes of ownership so that entire staffs wont be fired like station did when they bought the fiesta and their other acquired properties. Sure the management at stations hates unions. But the workers dont.
Boyd gaming will soon own stations anyway, so wont matter. Stations got what they had coming and they will be organized! UNION!UNION!UNION!UNION!UNION!UNION!UNION!UNION!UNION!UNION!UNION!
Unions were critical in our nations history but now civil law protects the integrity of all workers. In response Unions preach about the ills of management to foster the demoralizing divisiveness as a strategy to justify their existence. Unions are required to "fight" for their members including those with poor work ethics and therein is the drag on productivity. Certainly management is not flawless. But good employees gravitate away from poor executives while good managers attract the better employees as the must leap through hoops and leaders to shed poor employees - including poor managers. So Unions use drama to distract the worker away from their actual job function (company productivity) to focus on management practices. NOT ONE union member would ever want a union representing their employees if they ever owned a business. Why? Because they know that personal pride is in the individual, not a Union.
i have worked for both union and non-union casino's and i definitely appreciate what the union offers.
it is true that union members have been laid off, HOWEVER, our contract has recall rights....if a position is restored by the company within 2 years, the person who was laid off from that position gets their position back. at stations, most of the coffee shops, pbx and uniform rooms were subleased to outside companies and the employees who had those positions were fired and have NO RECALL RIGHTS to those positions. this cannot happen with a union property.
at the R!@ CASINO, the cocktail servers did not vote in the union, they were all fired and replaced by "bevertainers" and they cocktail servers who were fired are now working for union casinos. THAT'S A FACT.
without the unions, there would be no middle class. the unions set the standard for the city. i have FREE medical, i have FREE retirement, i am a tipped employee who makes $12 an hour with the union, at !mper!@l p@!@ce, i made $5 for the same position. my paychecks were $0 after taxes. my insurance was so poor, i paid for my own out of pocket. the non-union casinos do not want the union because of the expense so they try to offer enough benefits to keep their employees happy for what they do have. but without the union nipping at their heels station casino workers would not have anything.
really, the station casino workers should research what the union offers before passing judgement.