FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, January 19, 2018
Media Contact:
Bethany Khan ▪ BKhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
Federal Labor Board Files Complaint Against Brookfield Asset Management-Owned Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Alleging Labor Law Violations
Las Vegas, NV – Yesterday, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas for alleged violations of federal labor law. The complaint alleges Hard Rock Las Vegas has maintained overly-broad and discriminatory rules in its employee handbook. The Las-Vegas casino is owned by Canadian global asset manager Brookfield Asset Management. The charges were filed last September by the Culinary Union, the largest local affiliate of UNITE HERE.
The challenged rules all have the purpose of repressing communication by employees both inside the hotel and even in their own, private social media use.
Last month, the casino settled other charges filed by the Culinary Union alleging the casino broke federal labor law by putting out anti-union literature trying to convince workers that it would be futile to select a union to represent them—even making the implicit threat that they would lose everything they already had. In the settlement agreement, the casino has agreed not to tell workers that they would “start from zero” if they chose union representation, and not to do anything like or related to interfere with workers’ rights to organize. If the casino violates the settlement agreement, it would be subject to government prosecution.
“Brookfield has not been responsible in its stewardship of the Hard Rock Las Vegas,” said Geoconda Argüello-Kline, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union. “In Las Vegas, most major casino employers have respected the rights of workers to determine whether or not to unionize in a free, fair, and neutral environment. It is surprising to see Brookfield take this stance in a place like Las Vegas where labor-management partnerships have flourished ensuring hundreds of thousands of workers over eight decades have fair wages and benefits along with respect and dignity on the job.”
The Culinary Union has called on Brookfield to agree to a fair process that assures Hard Rock Las Vegas’ housekeepers, food servers, cooks, and other non-union workers have the opportunity to decide whether they want union representation in an atmosphere that is free from management pressure tactics.
The Hard Rock Las Vegas is scheduled to go to a hearing before an administrative law judge of the National Labor Relations Board on April 17, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
DOCUMENT: Complaint & Notice of Hearing
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.
CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226
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