Station Casinos Found to have committed 87 unfair labor practices – Means Station is the Largest Violator of Federal Labor Laws in the History of Nevada Gaming

Station Casinos repeatedly claims it recognizes and respects its workers’ rights and has “at all times complied with the law.”  However, a recent decision from a federal administrative law judge gives lie to the company’s propaganda.

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Administrative Law Judge Geoffrey Carter issued 151-page recommended decision against Station Casinos on September 22, 2011.  In his decision, the judge  determined the gaming company broke federal labor laws 87 times.  No other Nevada gaming company has been found guilty of so many federal labor violations in a single case.  Most—perhaps all—have not committed so many violations in their entire histories.

The judge also recommended a broad cease and desist order, denied the company’s motion to dismiss the case, and refused its request for litigation costs.

In his decision against the company, the judge found that Station Casinos terminated, disciplined, threatened, interrogated, bribed (by promising benefits) and spied on employees who were engaged in lawful organizing activities.  The full decision is available here.

Station Casinos’ anti-union campaign has overwhelmingly affected Latino workers and the facts speak for themselves.  While the company claims 26% of its workforce is Latino or Hispanic, 78% of the violations found by the judge are for illegal actions the company took against Latino workers.  Moreover, eight of the ten worker organizers the company has fired so far are Latino.   Three have been brought back to work after charges were filed with the NLRB.

The judge issued his recommended decision following a seven-month trial that ended in May 2011.  Station Casinos failed to call a single witness in its defense.  Instead, it tried to get the judge to dismiss the government’s complaint on procedural grounds having to do with its claim that the union did not give it all the information it subpoenaed for trial.  The judge rejected this request.

Since the last trial ended, the National Labor Relations Board has filed a complaint with more charges of labor law violations against the company.  A second trial is scheduled to start on October 18, 2011.