Red Rock Casino is now mandated to acknowledge and negotiate with the Culinary Union following a decision from U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. This ruling came after Roberts dismissed the casino's emergency request to delay the enforcement of a federal labor order.
On September 4, Roberts, who oversees emergency applications from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, denied the casino's application without providing a reason. The official court record for the case Red Rock LLC v. National Labor Relations Board simply stated: “Application denied by the Chief Justice.”
This denial allows the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) order to remain in effect while Red Rock prepares to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court. However, it does not stop the casino from seeking to have its appeal heard by the court, nor does it indicate whether the justices will accept the case.
According to the order, Red Rock is required to engage in good faith negotiations with the Local Joint Executive Board of Las Vegas, which is associated with Culinary Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165, upon request. The casino must also cease any unfair labor practices and stop interfering with union activities.
Furthermore, Red Rock is obligated to display notices in employee areas for a period of 60 days, send notifications to current and former employees who have worked at the casino since September 2019, and hold meetings during work hours to inform employees of their rights in both English and Spanish. Attendance from senior management, an NLRB representative, and a union representative (if chosen) is required at these meetings.
Several deadlines for compliance are contingent upon the order being served by the NLRB’s Las Vegas Region 28 office, as reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The conflict originated from a union election in December 2019, which the Culinary Union lost. The NLRB determined that Red Rock engaged in multiple unfair labor practices related to the election, including coercive behavior and discriminatory actions against union supporters, concluding that these actions hindered employees’ ability to make free choices regarding representation.
The union has also accused Station Casinos, the parent company of Red Rock Resort, of disseminating anti-union messages in break rooms, threatening employees involved in organizing efforts, and announcing pay raises shortly before the election to sway voter decisions. Station Casinos has denied these allegations and maintains that its employees were already compensated more than Culinary members at other Las Vegas casinos.
Red Rock contends that the union's claims arose from their election loss and asserts that the company-wide benefit enhancements referenced by the NLRB had been approved prior to the union's representation petition.
In 2022, the NLRB concluded that a fair election could not be anticipated at a Station Casinos property due to the company's interference. The agency issued a decision in 2024 mandating Red Rock to recognize and negotiate with the union. This decision was upheld by the D.C. Circuit in June, which also denied a rehearing request in August 2026, and subsequently dismissed Red Rock's attempt to delay the mandate.
Red Rock sought intervention from Roberts on August 29, arguing that compliance before the Supreme Court review would result in irreparable harm. Their forthcoming petition will challenge the timing of employee benefit increases in relation to bargaining orders and whether the NLRB adequately considered changes that occurred after the 2019 election.
A representative from Station Casinos stated that the company will adhere to the order while continuing to contest the NLRB's ruling. “The NLRB decision overturned the clear vote of Red Rock team members rejecting the Culinary Union,” the spokesperson commented.