Red Rock slot tech appealing NLRB decision opposing union re-vote

A Red Rock Resort slot machine technician is appealing a National Labor Relations Board decision denying technicians a union representation re-vote.

Jereme Barrios asked the NLRB in Washington to reverse a regional board decision denying a union decertification vote.

Barrios in March submitted a petition signed by his slot tech colleagues requesting a vote in a bid to remove the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 501 from representing the employee group in contract negotiations.

Barrios is receiving free legal representation from staff attorneys with the National Right to Work Foundation.

A representative for Red Rock Resorts, parent company of Station Casinos Inc., had no comment on the appeal, citing its policy of not commenting on matters in litigation.

In April, NLRB Region 28 Director Cornele Overstreet ruled there would be no re-vote. Barrios contends that Overstreet’s reasons for denying the vote are unrelated “blocking charges” union officials filed against company management.

In a 122-page document submitted to the NLRB, Barrios says complaints the union has made against Station Casinos management are being used to justify the rejection of the vote.

“The (Overstreet) order is particularly egregious considering the regional director is staking his woefully transparent arguments upon 18 charges filed by an entirely unrelated union — the Local Joint Executive Board of Las Vegas UNITE HERE,” the petition says. “All 18 of those charges involve food and beverage and hotel workers (the Culinary unit) and do not pertain to any employees represented by IUOE Local 501. Moreover, six of the 18 LJEB charges were not even filed against Red Rock.”

Representatives of the Culinary union, which has its own thorny relationship with Red Rock Resorts and was cited in the petition, criticized the Right to Work Foundation.

“The Culinary union respects the public servants of the National Labor Relations Board who are committed to doing their jobs fairly and impartially,” said Culinary spokeswoman Bethany Khan. “In contrast, when the foundation strikes out, all it can do is blame the umpire.”

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.