Like it or not, unions play a role in business operations. Most companies would prefer that unions go the way of the T-Rex (although there are some that actually embrace the syndicates), but that’s only wishful thinking. The casino industry has come under fire in recent years for the overall treatment industry employees receive, and their response to the coronavirus has put even more pressure on the casino operators. Now, the largest casino employee union in the US is planning on suing Las Vegas casinos for not doing a better job at providing safety protections for their workers.
Las Vegas casinos began reopening on June 4 and, since then, there has been a mixed response by the properties on how they oversee employee activity. There has also been a spike in coronavirus cases, and the Culinary Union feels that the casinos should have been more proactive in protecting their workers as soon as the keys were turned on the doors. It wants to ask a judge for relief under the Labor-Management Relations Act, a federal law that was created to force employers to provide employees with a safe and secure working environment at all times.
The union will hold an online press conference today, according to a press release issued by Director of Communication and Digital Strategy Bethany Khan this past Saturday. In the meantime, she explains, “The lawsuit alleges casino hotels have not protected workers, their families, and their community from the spread of COVID-19, and that the current rules and procedures in place for responding to workers contracting COVID-19 have been wholly and dangerously inadequate.”
Over 60,000 casino employees across Las Vegas and Reno are represented by the Culinary Union Local 226 and the Bartenders Union Local 165. The two had already been pushing for better protection as casinos reopened, including the issuance of face masks and the implementation of mandatory testing. However, not all of the gaming properties were willing to introduce the measures. According to the union, only 11 operators provide testing for their employees, while more than 55% do not.