Tribes Want Exemption From Federal Law

[Solomon]

At a House hearing Thursday, Indian tribes spoke out for legislation to overturn an order by the National Labor Relations Board which placed tribes under the board's jurisdiction.

The labor board's order, which came in response to an organizing dispute at the San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in Southern California, is being fought in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit by the country's leading tribes.

Both sides say the case could be precedent-setting. Meanwhile, tribes have worked with a friendly lawmaker (and top recipient of tribal campaign donations), Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., who's introduced a bill that would amend the National Labor Relations Act to say that tribes are not governed by it.

The order came after the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union filed a complaint against the San Manual Band of Mission Indians contending the tribe violated labor rules by allowing the Communications Workers of America access to its casino for organizing while denying access to HERE. The tribe filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that the board had no jurisdiction.

Noting that the explosion of Indian gambling had transformed once-poor tribes into major employers of non-Indians, the order said that tribes were now acting more like traditional businesses than like sovereign governments, and should be treated as such.

Some unions, including HERE, have alleged that workers at casinos are subject to unfair labor practices. But tribes say their workers are treated well and that tribes can handle labor issues themselves.

[najdoyza]

In Washington State the Tribal Gaming is already exempt from many of the gaming laws and many of the labor laws. They are practicing preferential hiring of tribal members over non-tribal members. Tribal members get better wages and benefits packages, and discrimination is rampant - and LEGAL. They have a stranglehold on gambling and they can now afford to pay to keep it. When the other casinos wanted to make lotto slots legal the tribes spents 5 BILLION dollars on one campaign showing kids standing in the rain watching through the window of the local bar as their parents pulled the one armed bandit. The truth is they are not just putting the casinos on reservation land anymore, They can buy prime property anywhere they want, build a huge casino and rake in billions without paying taxes. I'm so sick of it. Now they are also exempt from the new online gambling bill as well. So if the tribes wanted to open an online casino in WA, then any WA resident could play there becuaase under the Indian Gaming act tribal gaming is legal anyway they want to do it - and under the new act intra-state online gambling is also exempt.