Defeat won't stop organizing efforts, local official says
Jul. 14,
2008
Copyright
©
Las
Vegas
Review-Journal
By
ARNOLD
M.
KNIGHTLY
REVIEW-JOURNAL
A union
organizing
effort
at the
Rio fell
short
Saturday
when 60
percent
of the
casino
dealers
voted
against
representation.
National
Labor
Relations
Board
officials
counted
247
dealers
opposed
to
forming
a union,
with 162
in favor
of union
representation
by Las
Vegas
Dealers
Local
721, a
division
of the
New
York-based
Transport
Workers
Union of
America.
Four
votes
were
discarded
or
challenged.
Rio's
management
issued a
statement
Sunday
stating
the
"vote
demonstrates
an
overwhelming
endorsement
of the
dealers'
belief
and
confidence
in the
Rio and
the way
dealers
and
management
have
always
worked
together."
The
union's
defeat
follows
two
3-to-1
votes
last
year to
approve
union
representation
at the
Wynn Las
Vegas
and
Caesars
Palace.
Dealers
at both
properties,
however,
have yet
to
negotiate
collective
bargaining
agreements
with
management.
Local
union
director
Joseph
Carbon
said
union
officials
were
surprised
by the
defeat,
but will
continue
to
organize
casino
workers
along
the
Strip.
"I've
been
around
long
enough
to
understand
this is
just
part of
the
process,"
Carbon
said
after
the
vote.
"You
don't
always
win
every
election.
Of
course,
I'm a
little
disheartened,
but it's
not
going to
slow our
momentum."
Matthew
Meyer, a
Rio
dealer
for four
years
and
union
organizer,
said he
respects
the vote
of his
coworkers
and
hopes
everyone
can
continue
to work
together
and move
forward.
He added
that he
hopes
the
organizing
effort,
although
not
successful,
will
lead to
better
dialogue
with
management
over
concerns
many
workers
have
over
such
issues
as
seniority,
possible
layoffs
and
protecting
the
dealers'
tips.
"I would
hope we
could
work
together
to
resolve
some of
the
issues
we
have,"
said
Meyer,
outside
a
Flamingo
Road
sports
bar
early
Sunday
morning
where
approximately
three
dozen
union
supporters
gathered
following
the
vote.
The
efforts
to
organize
dealers
at Strip
resorts
was
spurred
by Wynn
Las
Vegas's
decision
to begin
splitting
dealers'
tips
with
some of
the
resort's
management
personnel.
Fellow
union
supporter
and
organizer
John
Nielsen,
a Rio
dealer
for 13
years,
said he
was
surprised
by the
results.
"I
thought
it was
going to
be
completely
the
opposite,"
Nielsen
said. "I
was
shocked.
The
people
voted
and
decided
that the
union is
not the
best for
us at
this
time."
Rio
dealers
filed a
petition
in June
asking
for the
representation
vote.
Carbon
said the
union
has
seven
days to
file
objections
with the
National
Labor
Relations
Board if
the
union
believes
there
was
anyimpropriety
on the
part of
the
casino's
management
or
owner,
Harrah's
Entertainment.
"There
are a
few
issues
we're
going to
be
looking
at that
we may
file an
objection
to it,"
Carbon
said. "
But I'm
not
quite
sure."
Meyer
said the
management
team at
the Rio
conducted
itself
appropriately
during
the
seven-month
process,
and
hopes
that
there is
no
reprisal
against
union
supporters
from
coworkers
or
management.
"I
respect
our
management
team,"
he said.
"I would
hope
they let
bygones
be
bygones."
Contact
reporter
Arnold
M.
Knightly
at
aknightly@reviewjournal.com
or
702-477-3893. [up]