Labor board dismisses complaint against tribe

THACKERVILLE, Okla. (AP) – The National Labor Relations Board has dismissed a union-organizing complaint against a tribe that operates the state’s largest casino.

The labor board has determined that it doesn’t have jurisdiction over the Chickasaw Nation in a 2011 complaint brought by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local Union 886.

Teamsters had complained that supervisors at the tribe’s WinStar World Casino in Thackerville threatened and monitored blackjack dealers who were attempting to unionize. WinStar has more than 3,000 employees.

Workers in the private sector have the right to unionize under the 1930s National Labor Relations Act, which the labor board oversees. But the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized the sovereign status of American Indian tribes for more than 150 years.

The board in a June 4 opinion found that tribal sovereignty trumps federal protection by it, The Oklahoman reported.

Teamsters president and business manager, Ron Cobb, said the group is disappointed by the board’s decision but that it doesn’t plan to appeal.

Bill Anoatubby, governor of the Chickasaw Nation, said he was pleased with the outcome.

“This case was never so much about the National Labor Relations Act as much as it is about our sovereignty as a tribal nation,” he said.

The board’s opinion contradicts a recent appeals court decision regarding a similar dispute with another tribe and its casino. Judges with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal labor law does apply to a casino operated by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. Teamsters there filed an unfair labor practice against the tribe, and the court was asked whether the labor board has jurisdiction over the casino.

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Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com