walkintheirshoes wrote on December 31, 2007 09:01 PM: BRAVO!!!!! The dealers of Las Vegas are finally putting their intellects and voting capabilities to proper use. The truth of the matter is that casinos in Vegas have been corporately retarded since their initial stroll onto Wall Street, at the expense of their front line dealers. The company heads are more than happy to spin corporate correctness in the press, never revealing to reporters that they are allowing their dealers to be verbally and sometimes physically abused by the players. The higher the credit limit, the broader acceptance of filthy name calling and misbehavior. The political spin doctors in American politics don't have a thing on the corporate spinners in Vegas. How many of you have yet to see press releases on the details of the total lock down of the MGM the night of the Tyson/Holyfield match? Yes, when the following day the dealers were ordered in the preshift meeting to never discuss, not even with family members, exactly what happened that night. Any national press releases on the devastating danger involved in the NBA Allstars week? Look, if the biggest jack-ass on the planet wants to sit down at a table game, it is the responsibility of the dealer to host him for up to eight hours. Where is the rest of the team when the player becomes abusive? They walk away. Dealing in Las Vegas is a high risk, high stress job. Corporations have mistakenly confused value for their dealers with the concept that every dealer can be replaced with the snap of a finger. It's not going to work anymore. Your dealers have found their voice. They are speaking loudly. It's time you listen. The casinos would have never treated this sect of workers fairly on their own. GO UNION CONTRACTS!!!!!

justin wrote on December 31, 2007 06:24 AM: Sorry to hear you did not get a permanent position with benefits....
The crummy deal you are being offered has nothing to do with union or not though... It has everything to do with there being 10 times more dealers than job openings. I have a friend in the tile setters union and guess what? He will get hired for a job, get worked like a dog for a week or so, then sit at home for three weeks waiting for a new job to start! There are plenty of jobs out there right now that will pay more than minimum wage and give you hours and benefits, you would have to give up the Vegas dream of potential big tips and tokes for a straight wage though...

Rumplestiltskin wrote on December 29, 2007 06:22 PM: I find it funny that people here talk about NOT tipping Dealers because they are in a Union. Yet, when they get their DRINK from a UNION cocktail waitress, they have no problem tipping her do they? Nor the Union bartender or Union waiter or the Union maid or the Union Valet. Why the problem with the Dealer? Those other positions listed above normally don't even pool their tips and they get to keep it all for themselves. No problem tipping them though.

As for the Union PROTECTING tips, it's called "Status Quo" and yes, now the tips of the Dealers at Caesars Palace ARE PROTECTED from confiscation for redistribution...Federal Law. Only the Dealers "customer service" will have any relevance in the "amount" of tips they earn, just like the Cocktail Waitress, Bartender, Maid Waiter and Valets.

Harrahs Applicant wrote on December 28, 2007 09:23 PM: I applied at Harrahs, got an interview, and this is what I was told.

1) I would be hired as part-time (extra board) and paid minimum wage.

2) They would "try" to give me 3 days a week, however nothing was guaranteed.

3) I was not allowed to work any other job, even at another Harrah's property. If I did, I would be fired.

4) No set time/days/hours. I could be called in at any time. If I was not available I would be fired.

5) No guarantee I would ever become full time and receive benefits no matter how long I work or how good my job performance may be.

With this kind of treatment, is it any wonder dealers are voting to unionize? The pro-corporation comments here make me laugh.

Fafner wrote on December 26, 2007 12:51 PM: "Any monkey can deal blackjack"

Nah, because if that were the case the casinos would have tried it already.

justin wrote on December 25, 2007 09:14 PM: In response to Linda

You cannot possibly be making less than minimum wage as that is illegal... you may not be getting the "higher" minimum wage Nevada requires since your employer offers "affordable" health coverage, but since Nevada does not allow tips to minimum you have to get at least the Federal minimum wage. Your tokes must be good or you would have moved to a higher paying career by now.... I know dealers and valet workers that make "minimum wage" but they sure do seem to pull in more than me and my $14 an hour job. If you are willing to give up tokes as income, I am sure the casino would be more than happy to raise your wage (but you would never agree to that, now would you!)

Ted wrote on December 25, 2007 07:15 AM: To Mike R.:
Only a moron like you could automatically assume that I pay my employees sub standard wages because I am opposed to unionization. Actually I pay extremely well for highly qualified people. And because of how I pay them and treat them, they would never try and unionize my business. But what can one expect from some imbecile who can't even spell Lake MEAD?

Joe C wrote on December 24, 2007 10:50 PM: Did you really read what I wrote; I said it’s a good idea to learn more games. While you can care less what executives make seems a little ignorant as working people are being screwed no matter what your skill or education, did you look at Youtube video I recommended?
I’m not pro-union anymore than I’m pro-corporate greed. Just would like a fair playing field.
As far as pompous being in the business since 1977 I’ve seen so called college genius that know nothing and cause more harm than benefit. Although out of the business for a few years now I have yet to see a gaming genius that didn’t go thru the ranks no matter what college degrees they have.
If you only care about your reality it’s your own selfish problem.

Now if you forgive I'm starting to drink a few christmas spirits and hope you enjoy the holidays.
I don't remember writing Caesars in anything I wrote but forgive me if I spelled it wrong. I hope u feel better.

linda wrote on December 24, 2007 10:25 PM: To Joe C:

Who said I was just a blackjack dealer? It sounds like you're JUST a blackjack dealer. Let's face it Joe, it's not rocket science, but you do need a personality.

When you get your own casino you can pay your dealers $20 an hour and give yourself a big 9 million dollar bonus. I can care less what corporate executives are making, I only care about the my reality and my life. And dealers do get some sympathy because we make less than the new minimum wage. We depend on our customers for our wage and if we make a higher hourly wage some players may not feel the need to tip. The union just adds to the list of why they feel they shouldn't tip.

Oh yeh, and Joe, you must be the guy who wrote the first letter for the union. It's not "pompous NO nothings," it's "pompous KNOW-nothings" Are you trying to say they don't K-N-O-W anything? And Caesars is not spelled Caesrs.

douglas wrote on December 24, 2007 10:19 PM: the issue is that as dealers should have higher wages [rather than the "minimum wage], need benefits [as might be enjoyed under culinary contracts],need a 401k, should get merit raises, the union is the right way.

tokes are unrelated to any union. how can some union dictate, promise some level of gratuities in any toke spot ?

best solution is to honor those union demands by raising the base pay and provide those benefits to compare with other casino employees. that's what the unions have publicly stated to be their aims. so be it.

what's wrong with the u.k./no toke system ? is there a shortage of dealers in the u.k. ? are u.k. dealers starving ?

i sell stuff for a living. if the price is too high, no sale. no sale, no profit. usta make a fair living playing 21 before the house rule changes... even before the 6:5 snapper pays, and other changes. many of today's games are still attackable by teams but that's a subject for the restricted access 21 boards.

bottom line is that the unions should honor their promises of the higher wage and enhanced benefits. toking dealers should be 86'd for a number of reasons, not the least of which that as the joints further "tighten up" the games and comps, players will face higher vigs. thus dealer tokes will doubly harm the player... the increased house edges and the tokes themselves.

again, same as shopping at a supermarket, only a wastrel patronizes those chain stores which raise their prices to cover the union yoke.

why pay more ? or in joints, why play against higher vigs ?

Read All Comments