The National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against Rivers Casino over allegations that staff members were interrogated to what extent they were involved in union activities. The agency pointed in its filing to a particular case when workers were even threatened with certain reprisals due to their relations to labor unions.
The complaint, which was filed on March 31, mentions an incident that occurred on November 21, 2014 in the casino’s Wheelhouse Sports Bar. The National Labor Relations Board claimed that workers were asked by an assistant manager and a supervisor as to whether they were related in any way to labor unions and what the activities of those were.
According to the filing, the supervisor referred to the union as a “gang membership.” Furthermore, employees were threatened with “unspecified reprisals”, due to their involvement in union activities.
A spokesman for Steel City Casino Workers Council, a union coalition that aims at assisting casino employees in their attempt to join forces, explained that the incident in question occurred after the supervisor noticed that the interrogated workers were wearing wristbands advocating a policy for fair attendance.
National Labor Relations Board’s filing was based on a charge for unfair labor practice filed by Local 57 of the UNITE HERE labor union.
Jack Horner, spokesman for Rivers Casino, said in a statement on the complaint that they cannot comment on the matter at present. Mr. Horner, however, reminded that the venue has been voted one of Pittsburgh’s best places to work at by staff members. He also pointed out that their employees are free to choose whether they would like to be represented by any of the existing labor unions or not.
Casino executives will have to formally answer to the filing by next week. Furthermore, they will have to attend a National Labor Relations Board hearing on the matter, scheduled for May 19.
Rivers Casino opened doors in 2009 and is currently the only operating casino in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It spreads over a 450,000-square-foot site and features as many as 2,900 slot machines, more than 100 gaming tables, and a 30-table poker room. According to latest information, almost 2,000 people are employed at the property.
This is not the first time when employees complained about the management team’s attitude towards their involvement with labor unions. Back in 2013, almost 100 staff members protested against the “anti-union intimidation” led by Rivers Casino executives.
