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Dealers turn to little-known union
By
Liz
Benston / Staff Writer
September 29 - October 5
In spite of what casinos have been saying for years,
dealers have had a union at their disposal since at least
1989.
But this union doesn't operate like any others you've
probably read about.
It's never been officially recognized by any of the
state's casinos, nor has it been voted in by any dealers.
While the group had several thousand dues-paying members
at its peak in the 1990s, it boasts but a handful of
supporters today.
But it does things other unions do, like stick up for
workers who have been capriciously fired or threatened by
management — an all-too-common occurrence in the casino
trenches.
The International Union of Gaming Employees, a group that
has maintained its registration with the Secretary of
State's Office for more than 15 years, could be called a
shadow union.
Dealers in the know have called the group, formerly known
as the Nevada Casino Dealers Association, in time of need.
The use-in-case-of-emergencies system has benefited both
workers and management. Dealers have a last-resort group
willing to go to bat for them without the hassle of union
dues and the job risk associated with signing union
representation cards.
Management still maintains wide-ranging control over their
dealers. Unlike their Culinary Union-protected
counterparts, dealers — like the vast majority of
employees in this state and most other states nationwide —
are "at will" employees who can be fired at any time and
for any reason that doesn't run afoul of federal
anti-discrimination laws.
"When people got fired we'd threaten to go to the
newspapers," said Tony Badillo, a former dealer who once
worked at the Sands hotel and now serves as the sometime
president of the dealer union. "We'd usually get the guy's
job back. We had issues with all the casinos. But we dealt
with them in good faith."
The last thing casinos want is bad publicity, a riled-up
workforce and a union ready and willing to take sign-ups.
Dealers are fired up over a recent tip policy at Wynn Las
Vegas requiring them to split a fraction of their tips
with floor supervisors and boxmen. As part of the change,
the pit boss position has been removed and floormen, now
called service team leaders, will oversee small groups of
dealers and be supervised by a casino manager and two
assistant managers.
The voice mail box of the International Union of Gaming
Employees has been filling up with angry dealers in recent
weeks. Problem is, only a few of Wynn's dealers have
expressed interest in taking the step of signing a union
card.
Even with a 10 percent cut in earnings, Wynn dealers will
still be among the best paid in town. Risking your job is
a tough pill to swallow for people making up to $88,000
per year — around $300 per day — in tips.
Jack Lipsman, a former Flamingo dealer who serves as
Badillo's second in command, says the job risk involved in
union organizing is real.
"We challenge Wynn not to intimidate the dealers and to
allow a union card check," he said. "If he doesn't want
it, let him say so. And if he agrees, we'll put aside this
tip issue."
The group helped the short-lived campaign by the Transport
Workers Union — an industrial trade union and well-funded
AFL-CIO member that knew little about casinos and how to
motivate dealers — to organize dealers in the 1990s.
After voting in the TWU at three lower-profile casinos —
the New Frontier, the Stratosphere and the Tropicana —
dealers in 2002 rejected the union in two of those
properties. The group didn't have much success negotiating
with the casinos and only struck one contract at the New
Frontier — a document panned by the dealers as ineffective
and a major factor leading to union decertification at the
Stratosphere and Tropicana casinos.
Even with its dubious status, the unofficial dealers union
was perhaps more effective. Among other things, the group
helped push a bill in 1995 to clarify the tip pooling
issue and fought a 1999 initiative at the former Resort at
Summerlin to include floor supervisors in the tip pool.
The bill never passed but the Summerlin casino dropped the
tip sharing plan.
Wynn President Andrew Pascal has acknowledged some dealer
distress but says it's just a matter of time before the
casino settles into the new system. The dealer incentive
program, which will involve ratings from secret shoppers,
will help offset the tip sharing while rewarding the most
deserving dealers, he said.
Dealers are a nomadic, distrustful bunch who "got a lousy
taste in their mouth" from the TWU experience, Lipsman
said.
It may be now or never, he said.
"If this thing at Wynn isn't enough for them to organize,
nothing will be."
Liz Benston covers gaming for In
Business Las Vegas and its sister publication, the Las
Vegas Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-4077 or by
e-mail at
benston@lasvegassun.com.
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