Lytton Band turns to NLRB for aid in dispute with casino union

Tuesday, July 12, 2011  

Most tribes don't want the National Labor Relations Board in their business but the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians of California is taking a different approach.

The tribe asked the NLRB for help with a union that represents 200 employees at Casino San Pablo. The two sides are locked in a dispute over a new contract.

The main issue appears to be wages. The tribe pays an average of $9.50 an hour and says it can't afford raises due to rising health insurance costs.

"The union wants the entire health care policy to remain intact, but they also want raises," spokesperson Doug Elmets told The San Francisco Chronicle. "We're trying to find a balance."

Some employees say they have to work second jobs and ask for public assistance in order to make a living. "It seems like they're turning their back on us," dishwasher Isidoro Saravia-Ramos told the paper.

The Unite Here union represents the workers.

Get the Story:
San Pablo Casino workers irked over no raises (The San Francisco Chronicle 7/12)