Foxwoods Resort Casino faces new demand for union

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100614/AP05/306149921

By STEPHEN SINGER

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Bartenders at Foxwoods Resort Casino have asked the National Labor Relations Board to supervise an election in a drive to organize a union.

Brian Petronella, president of Local 371 of the United Food and Commercial Workers, said Monday the union wants to represent about 360 bartenders, beverage servers and others at the casino in eastern Connecticut.

The union lost an election last year. Petronella blamed rules imposed by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which operates Foxwoods. He says workers who did not vote were counted as "no" votes.

The union now wants an election supervised by the NLRB, which does not count votes not cast.

Foxwoods says Mashantucket Pequot labor relations law provides a fair process for employees to select union representation and that tribal law should apply.

"As we have repeatedly noted, it is the long-standing policy of the United States to encourage and support tribal self-governance," Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council, said in a statement. "We continue to believe that tribal law should apply in these matters. We will continue to vigorously oppose any further attempts to undermine our sovereignty."

FULL story at link.