Pennylvania security officers first Las Vegas Sands employees to sign union contract

Security officers at Las Vegas Sands Corp.’s Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, casino last week become the first Sands employees to sign a union contract that is part of property operations.

The International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America agreed Wednesday to a three-year contract with Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem for its security guards. The new contract enabled an 8 percent pay increase, a seniority structure and a greater say in work rules for 146 employees.

Union President David Hickey said the contract was approved in a 70-6 vote. Negotiations on the initial contract began a year ago.

Hickey said the turnout didn’t surprise him.

“That’s always the case that some people don’t come to participate,” Hickey said in a telephone interview.

Sands officials say they don’t expect additional unionization efforts.

“We have always respected our employees’ rights to join or refrain from joining a union,” said Sands spokesman Ron Reese. “We don’t anticipate other organizing efforts because our pay, benefits and working conditions have always exceeded those negotiated by unions. Point in fact, despite the union bosses strong desire for it to be otherwise, the Venetian in Las Vegas has been a non-union property since it opened in 1999.”

Reese also noted that the company used union construction laborers when its Las Vegas and Bethlehem properties were built and the Sands Expo and Convention Center has used on-call union members who are members of Culinary Union Local 226 since the convention facility opened in 1990.

The International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America also was the group that successfully campaigned to unionize 260 security guards at Mandalay Bay. By a 163-79 vote in December, employees approved SPFPA representation as part of its Casino Hotel Industry Police division.

Hickey said he would be in Las Vegas this week for the second round of discussions involving Mandalay Bay employees.

The union should also know by Tuesday the outcome of a representation vote by Excalibur security employees. The vote deadline is 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Earlier this year, Circus Circus employees rejected representation, union officials said.

Excalibur and Circus Circus are MGM properties.

The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.