For immediate release
April 18, 2012
Yvanna Cancela
(702) 524-8384
Station Casinos and UNITE HERE Local 226 Workers Beginning Seven Day Fast
Workers, union members, & clergy leaders will fast together
Las Vegas – Today, a group of eighteen workers will commence a seven-day fast. Thirteen workers from Station Casinos along with five union members will give up food as part of the continued demand for a fair process for Station workers to decide whether they want representation.
Milton Farfan, a dishwasher at Red Rock Casino, said, "I’m a little worried about doing this for seven days. But it’s a worthwhile sacrifice. It’s a way to show the company that we’re ready to do all that’s necessary to be given a fair process. We’re here to represent each one of our co-workers at Stations Casinos."
Thousands of workers at Station Casinos have signed a public petition asking for a fair process. A fair process would let workers make their own decisions as to whether to unionize in a way that is free from management interference, intimidation, bullying, or litigation. Over the years, tens of thousands of Las Vegas casino resort workers have utilized a fair and non-confrontational process, rather than NLRB litigation, to decide whether to have union representation with the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165.
Community and clergy leaders will support the fasters throughout the week.
The fast will begin at 10 am on Wednesday outside of Palace Station Casino.
Station Casinos is majority owned by Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, and Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, owners of Fertitta Entertainment LLC.
For more information visit www.workerstation.org, follow @workerstation, and see www.facebook.com/workerstation.
The Culinary Workers Union, Local 226, and Bartenders Union, Local 165, are both affiliates of UNITE HERE. The Culinary is the largest local labor union in the U.S. gaming industry. The Culinary represents approximately 55,000 casino and resort workers primarily on the Las Vegas Strip and in downtown Las Vegas.