TWEET
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan ▪ BKhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
Casino workers at The D Casino in Downtown Las Vegas allege sexual harassment from managers and customers
Las Vegas, NV – Culinary Union member and former dancing bartender at The D Casino in downtown Las Vegas, Xstal Campbell, is fighting for justice after being fired from her job for claiming the right to a workplace free of sexual harassment. With a trial set before the National Labor Relations Board, Ms. Campbell is going public to share her story and encourage others to do the same. She and other workers at The D Casino will appear before the Nevada Gaming Control Board September 5, 2018 to share their stories of sexual harassment as the Board weighs regulatory standards for casinos.
“I endured sexual harassment from one of my managers at The D Casino for nearly a year,” said Xstal Campbell, a former dancing bartender at The D Casino. “The height of the harassment occurred during my probationary period and I felt vulnerable and that if I spoke up, I could lose my job.”
Ms. Campbell told the human resources department at The D Casino and requested the right to a workplace free of sexual harassment. Unfortunately, her report of sexual harassment was not welcomed. She was told to only worry about herself and no one else. At one point she was asked by the company if she did anything to elicit sexual harassment from her manager. In the months to follow, Ms. Campbell felt that she was a target of management and began to feel a lot of anxiety at work. She was unfairly suspended twice for days a time and eventually fired on May 14, 2018.
The Culinary Union is bargaining for stronger sexual harassment protections in current contract negotiations for 2,200 workers at 4 casino resorts, including workers at The D Casino and Golden Gate in downtown Las Vegas.
“The D Casino’s treatment of Ms. Campbell is shameful and we will not stop fighting until she has justice,” said Geoconda Argüello-Kline, Secretary Treasurer for the Culinary Union. “At a time when the hospitality and gaming industries are working to ensure workers are protected, The D Casino is continuing to blame the victim. The company needs to do the right thing and ensure their workplace is free from sexual harassment.”
Ms. Campbell’s story is just one of the instances of sexual harassment reported to the Culinary Union by workers at The D Casino. Workers will share their experiences of sexual harassment at the Nevada Gaming Control Board at 9:00am on Wednesday, September 5th (Grant Sawyer Building, 555 E. Washington, Room 2450).
--
ABOUT THE CULINARY UNION:
Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent over 57,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. UNITE HERE represents 270,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America.
The Culinary Union, through the Culinary Health Fund, is one of the largest healthcare consumers in the state. The Culinary Health Fund is sponsored by the Culinary Union and Las Vegas-area employers. It provides health insurance coverage for over 143,000 Nevadans, the Culinary Union’s members and their dependents.
The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest immigrant organization with over 57,000 members - a diverse membership that is approximately 55% women and 54% Latino. Members - who work as guest room attendants, bartenders, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, and kitchen workers - come from 173 countries and speak over 40 different languages. The Culinary Union has been fighting for fair wages, job security, and good health benefits for working men and women in Nevada for 83 years.
CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226