Extremely Important, I ask your indulgence to
please read this in its entirety, we have a problem!!

 The committee to Prevent Employers from Seizing Tips (PEST) has not received adequate donations to fully move forward as we wished at this point in the area of advertising which is crucial to the success of the Initiative Petition to change the law to stop tip confiscation to be voted on by us the tip earners and citizens of Nevada.

Advertising in all areas of communication for exposure and educating the public must be done way before signature gathering starting January 1, 2008 which doesn’t leave us with a lot of time so we have to move as quickly as possible.

I fear that many of you may not realize the importance of the Initiative Petition. The only way the tip confiscation will be stopped effectively for ALL tip earners is by fixing the law.

Assemblyman Bob Beers will again do all he can next legislative session but he still has to be re-elected and go up against the same people as last session, the cards are stacked against us and Assemblyman Beers strongly endorses the Initiative Petition as the most promising and achievable solution.

The TWU is working extremely hard in the unionizing effort as it gains popularity and support as it moves along into other casinos and this is a pains taking deliberate time consuming process to be done right and successfully. Hopefully they will negotiate tip security as widely as possible but none the less the process dictates the time necessary while the surrounding landscape could change rapidly. In talking to the TWU it was expressed that we are fighting the same fight with the same goal in mind and are behind our efforts completely.

The Nevada Supreme Court Appeal Case is another hopeful avenue in solving the legal issue of fixing the law if they decide to hear the case which they have not decided as of yet. The decision to hear the case is purely based on the Supreme Court Judge’s evaluation of the merits of the case. If they do decide to hear the case we have no way of determining the time involved in the process or the outcome because we are still again dealing with the very real possibility of special interest influence which would not be possible with the Initiative Petition.

Remember, if the Nevada Supreme Court rules in our favor it would simply give us private right of action to pursue the case in the lower court that still would have to be won but I must add that the Supreme Courts decision would greatly influence the lower court as to the legitimacy of the case. With that said, JP Kemp who is one of the appeal attorneys related to me that he is strongly in favor of our pursuit of the Initiative Petition process.      

Remember that the Initiative Petition will not be exclusive to dealers but will protect all tip earners.

You have been asked for donations before but nothing that anyone couldn’t reasonably afford. The little amount given now is so outweighed by the results it will bring that there is no comparison.

You initially donated to the IUGE to picket in front of Wynn which resulted in pumping life blood into bringing attention and recognition to the Wynn tip confiscation problem and instrumental in having the TWU take action. The return on your money is beyond calculation. 

Donating to Assemblyman Bob Beers campaign to have someone to speak for and represent tip earners in the legislature is worth its weight in gold regardless if he is able to get a bill through or not. 

If we don’t do the Initiative Petition this time around it won’t be able to be done again until 2012.

Fixing the law is essential, the union can’t do it all and if the Supreme Court fails us and we don’t have the Initiative Petition we are going to be left holding the bag and it will be open season on tip confiscation. Remember there are time constraints that are unavoidable with every avenue being pursued and the Initiative Petition is an essential safety net.

If we don’t receive adequate donations in the near future we will be forced to scrap the project and return donations and I pray that will not be the case.

Please send in a donation and thank you for having the patience in taking the time to read this letter.

PEST Campaign

International Union of Gaming Employees (or IUGE)

P.O. Box 71961

Las Vegas, NV 89170

Tony Badillo – President

Jack Lipsman – Vice President 

Al Maurice - Director

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