Lowden’s TV Ad: Finally A Legal Attempt to Cut Health Coverage
In Order to Line Her Pockets – First, Lowden Broke the Law; Then, She Tried to Change It
LAS VEGAS – This week, Sue Lowden launched a misleading attack ad on TV that relies on misinformation to distort the work Sen. Reid has done to make health insurance affordable for all Nevadans.
However, this desperate attack shouldn’t be surprising from someone so dead set on lining her pockets that as a businesswoman she broke the law to deny coverage to her employees and then tried to change Nevada law as a state senator to enshrine lower quality, cheaper coverage on the books.
As President of Santa Fe Hotel, Inc., Sue Lowden illegally denied health insurance to buffet workers both by forcing them to sign a document waiving their right to it and cutting their hours to render them ineligible for it. As a result, her company was found guilty of violating the National Labor Relations Act and was ordered to repay employees whose hours and benefits were unlawfully slashed.
After breaking the law, Lowden tried a different tact as a state senator to undermine quality medical coverage. She voted to put profits over the health needs of Nevada’s women, allowing insurance companies to refuse to cover lifesaving treatments like mammograms. Additionally, she voted to put insurance companies between patients and their doctors, allowing them to refuse coverage for medical services that were not only in their plans but were administered by a physician.
“Sue Lowden’s track record shows that she’s willing to do anything – even break the law – to save a buck by denying quality health insurance from hardworking Nevada families. Whether gutting medical coverage as a state senator or unlawfully refusing to cover employees, Lowden has proven that her idea of ‘leadership’ is not something Nevadans can afford,” said campaign manager Brandon Hall.
“While filled with lies and distortions, at least Lowden’s latest TV ad is actually a legal attempt to deny Nevadans access to quality, affordable health insurance. So for her, I guess that’s progress.”
Over the past week, Nevadans got their first glimpse of Sue Lowden’s abysmal business record when it was uncovered that she axed hundreds of employees at Archon Corporation and its subsidiaries while giving the company’s CEO, her husband $200,000 bonuses both in 2004 and 2009.
BACKGROUND
Santa Fe Hotel, Inc Illegally Cut Employee Benefits, Health Insurance
Sue Lowden Was President Of The Santa Fe When They Illegally Stripped Employees Of Their Health Care In April 1995, the Las Vegas Sun reported, “State Sen. Sue Lowden, R-Las Vegas is President of the Santa Fe. She and her husband, Paul Lowden are the top executives of Sahara Gaming, the parent company.” Filing with the Secretary of State’s office beginning in 1998 confirm her role as President of Santa Fe Hotel Inc. [Santa Fe Hotel Inc Officer List filed 8/26/98; Las Vegas Sun, 4/28/95]
Lowden’s Company Admitted To Requiring Employees To Sign Documents Waiving Their Benefits In Violation Of The National Labor Relations Act. In a decision which found Santa Fe Hotel Inc guilty of several violations of the National Labor Relations Act, an Administrative Law Judge Wrote, “Respondent [Santa Fe Hotel Inc.] admits that, in or about May 1995, it bypassed the Unions and dealt directly with its buffet department servers, who are bargaining unit employees, by requiring them to sign a document waiving their right to receive employee benefits.” [NLRB Case 28-CA-13367 (emphasis added)]
Lowden’s Company Was Later Ordered To Give No Effect To Benefits Waivers. In the Administrative Law Judge’s ruling on case 28-CA-13367, Santa Fe Hotel, Inc was ordered to “Give no effect to any waivers of employment benefits executed by buffet department servers and make whole, with interest, each of said employees, who executed such a waiver of benefits, for any losses he or she may have suffered in the manner set forth in the Remedy section herein.” [NLRB Case 28-CA-13367]
Lowden’s Company Admitted To Eliminating Benefits For Buffet Workers In Violation Of The National Labor Relations Act. In a decision which found Santa Fe Hotel Inc guilty of several violations of the National Labor Relations Act, an Administrative Law Judge Wrote, “Respondent [Santa Fe Hotel Inc.] next admits that, in or about May 1995, it acted unilaterally, and without affording the Unions, as the exclusive collective-bargaining representative of the said employees, prior notice and an opportunity to negotiate on their behalf, reducing the work hours of its buffet department server employees, reclassifying full-time buffet department server employees to steady-extra employees, and subsequent to reducing their hours of work, eliminating all benefits, which had been previously received by said employees. [NLRB Case 28-CA-13367 (emphasis added)]
Lowden’s Company Was Ordered To Repay Employees Whose Hours And Benefits Were Unlawfully Cut. In the Administrative Law Judge’s ruling on case 28-CA-13367, Santa Fe Hotel, Inc was ordered to, “Upon the request of the Unions, rescind each of the unlawful unilateral changes in the terms and conditions of employment of its buffet servers, Pablo's Cafe employees including the foodservers, beverage department employees including cocktail servers and barbacks, porters, slot department employees including floorpersons and change persons, and steady-extra maids and reinstate each term and condition of employment as such existed prior to each of Respondent's unlawful unilateral change and make whole, with interest, all affected employees for any losses in wages or benefits in the manner set forth in the Remedy section herein. [NLRB Case 28-CA-13367 (emphasis added)]
2009 - Sue Lowden Cut Almost ¼ Of Her Workforce And Ended Employee 401(k) Matching While Her Husband Brought Home A $200,000 Bonus
Las Vegas Sun: “SEC Filing: Sue Lowden Cut Jobs, Got Bonus.” “Republican Sue Lowden’s company gave her husband a $200,000 bonus last year — bringing the couple’s combined paycheck to nearly $1 million — even as it slashed more than 100 jobs and eliminated the employee savings match, according to an annual report.” [Las Vegas Sun, 2/24/2010]
CQ Politics: “Reid Presses Attacks on Lowden's Jobs Record.” Last week, Reid aides pounced on Archon's annual financial report that showed the company reduced its employee rolls by nearly a quarter compared with 2008, while Paul Lowden received a $200,000 bonus. Monday, Reid's campaign publicized records that showed a casino owned by an Archon subsidiary shut its doors in 2004, leaving 50-plus workers out of jobs. Paul Lowden also received a $200,000 bonus that year. [CQ Politics, 3/1/2010]
Lowden’s Record Putting Insurance Companies in the Driver’s Seat and Allowing Insurance Companies to Refuse Covering Mammograms and other Preventive Care
Sue Lowden Voted To Allow Insurance Companies To Deny Payment For Covered Services. In June 1995, Sue Lowden opposed Senate Bill 196, which would have prohibited insurance companies from refusing to pay for medical services that are covered by a plan and provided by a licensed medical provider. The legislation also would have prohibited insurance companies from automatically denying payment for services they considered medically unnecessary. [Senate Bill 196 floor vote, 6/24/95]
Lowden Voted Against Requiring Insurance Companies To Cover Preventative Care. During June 1995 committee debate over a health-care bill, Sue Lowden moved to remove a section of the bill that would require insurance companies to include coverage for pap smears, mammograms, prenatal care, and prostate cancer screening. According to the committee minutes, “Senator Regan pointed out section 11.5, subsection 1, paragraphs (a) – (d) are preventative care. Senator Lowden agrees, but she stipulated those should be options, not mandates.” [NV Senate Commerce and Labor Committee minutes, 6/15/95]
Lowden Stands By Her Vote Against Preventative Care. In 2009, Sue Lowden stood by her vote to remove rules that require insurance companies to cover preventative care. Lowden said, “My vote was against unfunded mandates and budget-busting levels of spending that ultimately drives up the costs of health insurance to the point Nevadans can no longer afford it.” [Inside Nevada Politics, 8/17/09]
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Lowden’s TV Ad: Finally A Legal Attempt to Cut Health Coverage
In Order to Line Her Pockets – First, Lowden Broke the Law; Then, She Tried to Change It
LAS VEGAS – This week, Sue Lowden launched a misleading attack ad on TV that relies on misinformation to distort the work Sen. Reid has done to make health insurance affordable for all Nevadans.
However, this desperate attack shouldn’t be surprising from someone so dead set on lining her pockets that as a businesswoman she broke the law to deny coverage to her employees and then tried to change Nevada law as a state senator to enshrine lower quality, cheaper coverage on the books.
As President of Santa Fe Hotel, Inc., Sue Lowden illegally denied health insurance to buffet workers both by forcing them to sign a document waiving their right to it and cutting their hours to render them ineligible for it. As a result, her company was found guilty of violating the National Labor Relations Act and was ordered to repay employees whose hours and benefits were unlawfully slashed.
After breaking the law, Lowden tried a different tact as a state senator to undermine quality medical coverage. She voted to put profits over the health needs of Nevada’s women, allowing insurance companies to refuse to cover lifesaving treatments like mammograms. Additionally, she voted to put insurance companies between patients and their doctors, allowing them to refuse coverage for medical services that were not only in their plans but were administered by a physician.
“Sue Lowden’s track record shows that she’s willing to do anything – even break the law – to save a buck by denying quality health insurance from hardworking Nevada families. Whether gutting medical coverage as a state senator or unlawfully refusing to cover employees, Lowden has proven that her idea of ‘leadership’ is not something Nevadans can afford,” said campaign manager Brandon Hall.
“While filled with lies and distortions, at least Lowden’s latest TV ad is actually a legal attempt to deny Nevadans access to quality, affordable health insurance. So for her, I guess that’s progress.”
Over the past week, Nevadans got their first glimpse of Sue Lowden’s abysmal business record when it was uncovered that she axed hundreds of employees at Archon Corporation and its subsidiaries while giving the company’s CEO, her husband $200,000 bonuses both in 2004 and 2009.
BACKGROUND
Santa Fe Hotel, Inc Illegally Cut Employee Benefits, Health Insurance
Sue Lowden Was President Of The Santa Fe When They Illegally Stripped Employees Of Their Health Care In April 1995, the Las Vegas Sun reported, “State Sen. Sue Lowden, R-Las Vegas is President of the Santa Fe. She and her husband, Paul Lowden are the top executives of Sahara Gaming, the parent company.” Filing with the Secretary of State’s office beginning in 1998 confirm her role as President of Santa Fe Hotel Inc. [Santa Fe Hotel Inc Officer List filed 8/26/98; Las Vegas Sun, 4/28/95]
Lowden’s Company Admitted To Requiring Employees To Sign Documents Waiving Their Benefits In Violation Of The National Labor Relations Act. In a decision which found Santa Fe Hotel Inc guilty of several violations of the National Labor Relations Act, an Administrative Law Judge Wrote, “Respondent [Santa Fe Hotel Inc.] admits that, in or about May 1995, it bypassed the Unions and dealt directly with its buffet department servers, who are bargaining unit employees, by requiring them to sign a document waiving their right to receive employee benefits.” [NLRB Case 28-CA-13367 (emphasis added)]
Lowden’s Company Was Later Ordered To Give No Effect To Benefits Waivers. In the Administrative Law Judge’s ruling on case 28-CA-13367, Santa Fe Hotel, Inc was ordered to “Give no effect to any waivers of employment benefits executed by buffet department servers and make whole, with interest, each of said employees, who executed such a waiver of benefits, for any losses he or she may have suffered in the manner set forth in the Remedy section herein.” [NLRB Case 28-CA-13367]
Lowden’s Company Admitted To Eliminating Benefits For Buffet Workers In Violation Of The National Labor Relations Act. In a decision which found Santa Fe Hotel Inc guilty of several violations of the National Labor Relations Act, an Administrative Law Judge Wrote, “Respondent [Santa Fe Hotel Inc.] next admits that, in or about May 1995, it acted unilaterally, and without affording the Unions, as the exclusive collective-bargaining representative of the said employees, prior notice and an opportunity to negotiate on their behalf, reducing the work hours of its buffet department server employees, reclassifying full-time buffet department server employees to steady-extra employees, and subsequent to reducing their hours of work, eliminating all benefits, which had been previously received by said employees. [NLRB Case 28-CA-13367 (emphasis added)]
Lowden’s Company Was Ordered To Repay Employees Whose Hours And Benefits Were Unlawfully Cut. In the Administrative Law Judge’s ruling on case 28-CA-13367, Santa Fe Hotel, Inc was ordered to, “Upon the request of the Unions, rescind each of the unlawful unilateral changes in the terms and conditions of employment of its buffet servers, Pablo's Cafe employees including the foodservers, beverage department employees including cocktail servers and barbacks, porters, slot department employees including floorpersons and change persons, and steady-extra maids and reinstate each term and condition of employment as such existed prior to each of Respondent's unlawful unilateral change and make whole, with interest, all affected employees for any losses in wages or benefits in the manner set forth in the Remedy section herein. [NLRB Case 28-CA-13367 (emphasis added)]
2009 - Sue Lowden Cut Almost ¼ Of Her Workforce And Ended Employee 401(k) Matching While Her Husband Brought Home A $200,000 Bonus
Las Vegas Sun: “SEC Filing: Sue Lowden Cut Jobs, Got Bonus.” “Republican Sue Lowden’s company gave her husband a $200,000 bonus last year — bringing the couple’s combined paycheck to nearly $1 million — even as it slashed more than 100 jobs and eliminated the employee savings match, according to an annual report.” [Las Vegas Sun, 2/24/2010]
CQ Politics: “Reid Presses Attacks on Lowden's Jobs Record.” Last week, Reid aides pounced on Archon's annual financial report that showed the company reduced its employee rolls by nearly a quarter compared with 2008, while Paul Lowden received a $200,000 bonus. Monday, Reid's campaign publicized records that showed a casino owned by an Archon subsidiary shut its doors in 2004, leaving 50-plus workers out of jobs. Paul Lowden also received a $200,000 bonus that year. [CQ Politics, 3/1/2010]
Lowden’s Record Putting Insurance Companies in the Driver’s Seat and Allowing Insurance Companies to Refuse Covering Mammograms and other Preventive Care
Sue Lowden Voted To Allow Insurance Companies To Deny Payment For Covered Services. In June 1995, Sue Lowden opposed Senate Bill 196, which would have prohibited insurance companies from refusing to pay for medical services that are covered by a plan and provided by a licensed medical provider. The legislation also would have prohibited insurance companies from automatically denying payment for services they considered medically unnecessary. [Senate Bill 196 floor vote, 6/24/95]
Lowden Voted Against Requiring Insurance Companies To Cover Preventative Care. During June 1995 committee debate over a health-care bill, Sue Lowden moved to remove a section of the bill that would require insurance companies to include coverage for pap smears, mammograms, prenatal care, and prostate cancer screening. According to the committee minutes, “Senator Regan pointed out section 11.5, subsection 1, paragraphs (a) – (d) are preventative care. Senator Lowden agrees, but she stipulated those should be options, not mandates.” [NV Senate Commerce and Labor Committee minutes, 6/15/95]
Lowden Stands By Her Vote Against Preventative Care. In 2009, Sue Lowden stood by her vote to remove rules that require insurance companies to cover preventative care. Lowden said, “My vote was against unfunded mandates and budget-busting levels of spending that ultimately drives up the costs of health insurance to the point Nevadans can no longer afford it.” [Inside Nevada Politics, 8/17/09]
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