Check out our video interviews on YouTube here!
Casiano Corpus, Porter at Palace Station, 20 years at Station Casinos. Fasting for 7 days
"This is for the workers of Station Casinos, that the company would respect our rights to have a fair process."
Dawn Vaseur, Cocktail Waitress at Santa Fe Station, 11 years at Station Casinos. Fasting for 7 days
"'Fasting' to me has always meant to break a bondage—to break a strong hold—to have your voice heard on high to the Lord. It’s mainly to have a breakthrough in a situation. I’m excited about doing it. I’m excited to know—I know God’s going to hear us, and that he’s going to answer our prayer. I’m ready for the unexpected, and the joy in it, and to hear from Him what He has to say, not only personally, but for all of us that are in the fast."
Delmi Aldana, Cook at Fiesta Rancho, 11.5 years at Station Casinos. Fasting for 6 days.
"I know that for myself, it’s been very difficult—I’ve made these sacrifices for my children, for me, for my health… at times I think, “I can’t do this,” but then I say to myself: “No, we need to fight and we need to finish this job.” And we have to do this for the betterment of us all."
Ignacio G. Martinez, Utility Porter at Texas Station, 13 years at Station Casinos. Fasting for 7 days.
"I decided to participate for a week to push the company to respect our right to organize ourselves. Primarily we are asking them to stop intimidating us and let us organize ourselves."
Jose Perez, Dishwasher at Sunset Station, 15 years at Station Casinos. Fasting for 7 days
“I am ready to participate [in the fast] for 7 days. I have decided to do this because of the discrimination that we’ve experienced at [Sunset] Station. Right now, I am 100% that there will be victory for us. For me, “Fasting with Faith” means making a sacrifice that we have to make in order to achieve what we want. I have faith that God will help us.”
Maria Portillo, Food Runner at Boulder Station, 14 years a Station Casinos. Fasting for 7 days
“I need the union, as soon as possible. [Station Casinos] has done many unjust things to me—they lowered my salary, they changed my position, they made me part-time… I see the benefits that most people have. For me, the purpose of fasting is to put pressure on the company—to tell them we need better benefits and a better salary. We need a change.”
Mario Medina, Terminated Buffet Room Runner at Fiesta Henderson. Number of Years at a Station Casino: 4 years. Fasting for 7 days
“We’re fasting for a good cause—we’re fasting for justice. I’ve never fasted before so I don’t know how my body’s going to react, but I know I’ll get through it because more than 5,000 families depend on me, and the most important thing—my family depends on me. We’re not going away—we’re going to fight until we win.”
Michael Wagner, Bartender at Green Valley Ranch, 16 years at Stations (11 at Green Valley Ranch). Fasting for 7 days.
“We’re going to send a really strong message to the company and let them know that we’re together…and we’re going to do whatever it takes to win. People deserve this. They deserve human dignity. They deserve human rights. They deserve to be treated the same as all the other union workers in this town.”
Milton Farfan, Dishwasher at Red Rock Casino, 6 years at Station Casinos. Fasting for 7 days.
“For me, “Fasting with Faith” means to be conscientious of what I’m doing. The truth—yes I’m a little worried about doing this for seven days. But it’s a worthwhile sacrifice. It’s a way to show the company that we’re ready to do all that’s necessary to be given a fair process. We’re here to represent each one of our co-workers at Stations Casinos.”
Norma Flores, Kitchen Runner at Fiesta Henderson, 10 years at Station Casinos, Fasting for 7 days.
“I am fasting in order to make Station Casinos respect our signatures and [give us] a fair process. I am here representing thousands and thousands of Station Casino workers who have decided to sign a card—a petition. A very clear message for the company: we’re not going to stop. We demand respect and we want the company to give us a fair process. We’re not going to stop until we win.“
Ovidio Aquino, Terminated Cook at Palace Station. Years at Station Casinos: 22 years. Fasting for 7 days.
“We’re fighting and struggling for [Station Casinos] to respect our rights and respect our decision to have a union. So that’s why we have signed our cards and our petitions—to demonstrate to the company that we want them to respect our rights. We don’t want a secret ballot election. We want a card check agreement just like the 55,000 members [of the Culinary] and the companies [who represent Culinary members] won. They have respected this right.”
Rodrigo Solano, Cook at Boulder Station, 19 years at Station Casinos. Fasting for 7 days.
“I’m here because I want justice. I have decided to fast for seven days. I am doing this—primarily for my family, but also for my co-workers, and for fair treatment. We will succeed. I’m sure that we will. And friends--we’re pushing hard. We’re pushing hard with everything we have.”
Please send a message to those fasting this week for justice and fairness by sending an email here.
Union Casino Workers Fasting in Support of Station Casinos Workers:
Felix L. Cruz, Utility Porter at the Rio, 12-year member of the Culinary Workers Union. Fasting for 7 days.
“It’s a good feeling—knowing that you have some protection at work. With the Culinary, with their backup—I don’t even want to use the word “Culinary”—my brothers and sisters… at Stations I want them to have the same option, where they can have some protection. I decided to participate [in the fast] because I feel I want to be part of it. I’m grateful [for] the health insurance [that the Culinary provides]. It’s one of the best. My wife—she’s had five surgeries. And she’s also grateful. That’s why she doesn’t tell me…when I have to tell her that I have a project for the Culinary, she says, “Let’s go, go ahead.” Because she’s been through five surgeries and she’s had the best treatment—the best treatment—they treat her with kid gloves. I’m grateful for that.”
Jesús Lopez, Guest Room Attendant at the MGM Grand, 20-year Culinary Workers Union member. Fasting for 7 days.
“To me it’s very important to send a message to every casino owner—you know I work at the MGM. I know it’s very important for Stations [workers]. They need everything we have as far as a union, a contract, benefits—everything, so that’s why I decided to do this [fast] for the seven days. “
Monie Stewart, Cocktail Server at Paris Las Vegas, 12-year member of the Culinary Workers Union. Fasting for 7 days.
“I know what it’s like to work at a non-union hotel. I myself have been through it and I have friends who work now at Station Casinos. They go through a lot of walking on eggshells, a lot of not being able to say how they feel… seniority seems to be a really big factor. People get sent home—randomly; people get fired—randomly. Those are concerns [where] you can’t have a life—you can’t make plans without knowing how much you’re going to make or if you’re going to have your job the next day. Those are the same things that I experienced at my hotel. This is why I’m here—so [Stations workers] can have a life, so they can make plans. You don’t have to worry about going into work and losing [your] job.“
Norma Martinez, Casino Porter at the Monte Carlo, 14-year member of the Culinary Workers Union. Fasting for 7 days.
I’ve been a Culinary member for 14 years. I worked 4 years without a union and it was very difficult for me because I had to pay my own insurance, I didn’t have job security, they would send me home, they would change my shifts, they would change everything.
Patricia Lindsey, Guest Room Attendant at the Bellagio, 13-year member of the Culinary Workers Union. Fasting for 7 days.
“I’m participating in the fast because I believe in worker justice for everyone in Las Vegas. I’m here participating the fast because I know [Stations workers] have a fight and I would like to support them in their fight. With faith, you can do just about anything. And we really understand that the fight that these workers have in front of them is going to require a lot of faith.”
Please send a message to those fasting this week for justice and fairness by sending an email here.
