Station Casinos, Fertitta Brothers Singled Out by Unite Here Union for Trump Donations

Posted on: January 14, 2021, 07:19h. 

Last updated on: January 14, 2021, 10:19h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

The Unite Here union lashed out this week at Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta and their company, Station Casinos, for the brothers’ millions of dollars in contributions to embattled President Donald Trump and other Republicans.

The union claims the donations allowed for racism and authoritarianism
Lorenzo (left) and Frank Fertitta, pictured above. The brothers co-own Station Casinos and were singled out this week by the Unite Here Union for their donations to President Donald Trump. (Image: Forbes)

The 300,000-member union alleges such donations allowed for racism, authoritarianism, white supremacy, and mob violence during the Trump presidency.

The union also wants all gaming and hotel CEOs to cease donating to 145 Republican members of Congress who tried to block November’s presidential election results.

Station Casinos, Union Been in Struggle for Years

For several years, Station Casinos has been in a struggle with the Culinary Union. It is a Unite Here Las Vegas affiliate representing many workers at casinos and hotels. The dispute is over the recognition of the union by the company at properties such as the Palms Casino Resort.

Last February, Unite Here President D. Taylor “shouted” an obscenity during a union rally at the Palms targeting the Fertittas, In These Times, a US-based progressive magazine claimed in a report.

These guys are scumbag liars,” the magazine quoted Unite Here’s Taylor last February. “The only way we’re going to win is to kick the ever-loving crap out of them and beat the s**t out of them.”

Culinary Union spokeswoman Bethany Khan told Casino.org on Wednesday “D [Taylor] meant, to beat them in court, considering the company continues to not do the right thing and they continue to contest the union election victory results.”

She points out the Culinary Union “has beaten them in court many times, and will continue to do so.”

Khan also noted that after the Feb. 19 rally outside of the Palms, “Thousands of protesters all went home peacefully, which is in stark contrast to the terrorists who stormed the Capitol who were incited by Trump and his lies.”

The Culinary Union noted the protestors last February went home peacefully
Among those joining the pro-union Feb. 19 picket at the Palms was Joe Biden. He is to be sworn in as president next week. (Image: Twitter)

In a recent statement, Unite Here claims “Trump has curried particular favor with certain hospitality industry leaders that have propped up his administration and GOP leaders with significant financial support. For instance, the Fertitta family, owners of Station … Casinos and Monty Bennett, CEO and Chair of Ashford Companies.

“For years, people like the Fertitta family and Monty Bennett have enabled Trump and the GOP with campaign contributions that have yielded four years of racism and authoritarianism, culminating in the horrific show of white supremacy and mob violence on display at the Capitol last week,” Taylor alleged in the statement.

The Fertittas are liars,” Khan further claimed in an email to Casino.org. “They have said many times that they would respect the outcome of a union vote … and they actually haven’t respected the wishes of their workers when they vote to unionize.”

In a Jan. 11 letter to hospitality and gaming CEOs, Taylor further acknowledged that “Our union and your company will always have our differences. Those differences are often stark and hotly debated.

“However, we always remain respectful of each other and certainly non-violent in resolving those differences,” the letter adds. “What happened last week in Washington was a stain on our history and the only way we can truly move forward is for the people responsible for inciting the seditious mob to face some meaningful consequences.”

House Votes to Impeach Trump for Second Time

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives impeached Trump for allegedly inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the US capitol. The Senate will have to decide if it will conduct a trial.

Trump is now the only US president to be impeached twice by the House. Trump on Wednesday repeated his condemnation of the “mob violence” and “calamity” at the capitol building last week.

He also warned against further violence. But the president says he supports First Amendment rights to free speech.

When contacted for comment on Wednesday, Station Casinos and Ashcroft spokespeople declined to issue a statement to Casino.org before publication time.