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Caesars dealers reject agreement with tip-sharing provision
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John Locher/Las Vegas Review-Journal File Photo
A dealer works Oct. 8. at a Caesars Palace gambling table. Unionized Caesars Palace dealers rejected a contract offer Monday. » Buy this photo
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Mar. 29, 2011 | 7:51 a.m.
It's back to the negotiating table after dealers at Caesars Place overwhelmingly rejected a labor contract that would have included a tip-sharing provision with casino management, similar to the policy in place at Wynn Las Vegas.
Joe Carbon, gaming division director of the Transport Workers Union Local 721, said negotiations with Caesars Palace are scheduled to resume April 12.
"We are not agreeing to it," Carbon said of the tip-sharing policy. He added a tip sharing was not included in the contract agreed to in November by dealers at Caesars in Atlantic City.
Dealers at Caesars in Atlantic City approved a five-year contract with the casino that increased salaries 18 percent over the life of the agreement. The United Auto Workers represents some 800 dealers at Caesars.
Gary Thompson, a spokesman for Caesars Entertainment Corp., parent of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and Caesars Atlantic City, declined to comment on the contract negotiations since talks were set to resume next month.
The negotiations only involve dealers at Caesars Palace, and not dealers at any of Caesars Entertainment's nine other Las Vegas properties.
The controversial tip-sharing policy, where dealers share between 15 percent and 20 percent of their tips with management, was first implemented in August 2006 at Wynn Las Vegas. That decision led to the union efforts by dealers.
In July 2009, the Nevada Labor Commission declared the practice legal. Dealers at Wynn have appealed that decision. The contract with Wynn does not interfere with the dealers' ongoing legal challenges.
Wynn employs 700 full-time and pat-time dealers.
If the Nevada Supreme Court rules in Wynn's favor it could lead other casinos in Las Vegas and statewide to institute similar polices.
Carbon reminded those who criticized the Transport Workers Union that the tip-sharing policy was already in place when the union began representing Wynn dealers. Caesars dealers voted for union representation in December 2007.
He said the union wanted to reach an equitable settlement with Caesars Palace that would allow them to "build a relationship" with the casino. The Transport Workers Union represents dealers at Caesars Palace and Wynn Las Vegas.
Dealers at Caesars Palace voted 305 to 2 to reject the contract offer, he said.
Separately, the Culinary expects contract negotiations with The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to begin in May, if a recent vote on union representation succeeds. Culinary officials expected the counting of vote cards to be completed early next month. The $3.9 billion hotel-casino, which opened in December between Bellagio and CityCenter on the Strip, has about 5,000 workers.
About 2,000 employees, including housekeepers and food service workers, were eligible to participate in the vote, according to the union. The Culinary union represents approximately 60,000 private sector employees in Nevada.
Contact reporter Chris Sieroty at csieroty@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893.
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Yes unions our good for workers.. Help keep corporations in check and keep labor laws in check.. Contact me at buzzmeetings@yahoo.com If you have been to them you may have compensation coming to you ..
Yes Unions have abused their power, but don't forget that there is and was a reason for them. We all can thank them for a 40 hr. work week, no child labor, safe working conditions, and for many more things. Do away with Unions today and when politicians/corporations come to take away your rights, you'll wish that they were still around.
Unions came originally came about because of abuse of workers. Today we can legitimately point out many real examples of unions becoming the problem rather than the solution, but this is not one of them. Floorpersons and pit bosses are supervisors, and supervisors by definition, are managers. I expect any company to pay it's managers with the money the company makes as part of their day-to-day business plan ....not with the money that I leave as a tip to the service providers, be they dealers, bartenders, food servers or housekeepers. I used to admire Steve Wynn for the way he treated his employees, but I was so disgusted by this act of greed, that I will NOT visit any of his properties nor recommend any of my guests in Vegas do so until he does an about face on this.
Caesars dealers reject agreement with tip-sharing provision
There no more then tip beggers,but why would you want to share your tips with anyone?
You Shouldent to include the IRS pigs
Maybe you should get a real skill and get a job that doeset depend on begging off of the low life gambling scum
I’m one that believes unions did a great service for working people and those involved literally fought and died trying to improve their lives and the lives of their families from very corrupt entities. The problem is the unions became the same type of entity they were supposed to protect workers from; mob connected and abused their grievance process continually. Plus hindered business growth limiting workers classifications to one job rather than be flexible. Now workers are caught between a rock and a hard place as global corporations have become as ruthless as the steel, coal and railroad tycoons of years gone by. In my opinion the Culinary Union is nothing more than a radical Hispanic organization supporting criminals. Tough world workers face today and one fact is true the super wealthy are getting wealthier along with congress. Pelosi as one example, yep workers are caught between a rock and a really ugly face.
The.Truth-51, I cannot agree with you more. The problem is Las Vegas has far too many ignorant people to understand this concept. Welcome to the dumbest city on the planet and that's how big nose Oscar got elected to Mayor of Stupid City .
Just another way for casinos to justify not paying management more... Take it from the hourly worker.
Love Liberals who believe union thugs created the middle class. I'm in the middle class and use my own mind to earn a living, so the last thing I want to do is belong to a "collective." I trust a businessman, who creates jobs, more than a union thug who gets money for nothing. You union lemmings will turn Vegas into Detroit yet.
The Union Haters on here really crack me up. I honestly dont understand your resentment towards people who organize. Ok, you are Republican, I get that, but do you want to TOTALLY destroy the middle class?? " These people are lucky to have a job, they get whatever crumbs the Owners give them, and they should be happy for it" Is THAT the way you feel? Where is your resentment at the growing gap between the rich and poor in the U.S.??? One poster said it wouldnt have been an issue if they "had left well enough alone". Well, thats what they did at Wynn, and look what happened. When they organized, it was too late, the policy was already in place. Be aware that this demise of organized Labor that you so long for will be the final straw for the working-middle class. Of course, unions arent perfect, for sure... but, If you think I want to trust my CEO to pay me what he thinks I deserve, you are sadly mistaken.
i'd like to know who the two dealers that voted for it were