"Unions" for dealers?

[juanez]

The union (UFCW)comes in and hits up every employees of our company to start a union. Now many of the poker dealers are trying to get one going here in CO. It baffles me as to why, but that's another story.

Any of you veterans have any experience with dealer unions trying to form? Positive or negative feedback would be appreciated.

Vegas has no dealer union (that I'm aware of), just wondering about other locations and the effect it had.

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
The union (UFCW)comes in and hits up every employees of our company to start a union. Now many of the poker dealers are trying to get one going here in CO. It baffles me as to why, but that's another story.

Any of you veterans have any experience with dealer unions trying to form? Positive or negative feedback would be appreciated.

Vegas has no dealer union (that I'm aware of), just wondering about other locations and the effect it had.

[/ QUOTE ]

They'd probably make you pool tips. Wouldn't that be great?

I think a dealers union would be a terrible idea. What would they do, force the place to pay dealers more? That means the rake would have to go up to compensate.

Imo, dealers are better to be paid according to how good they are. Ie...tips.

Not to mention, just what exactly are your dues going to pay for?

b

[pfapfap]

I'd heard some rumors last summer that Harrah's was considering pooling dealer tips even outside the WSOP. If someone tried that, I'd encourage dealer's to unionize so that they could keep their own tips.

[AngusThermopyle]

[ QUOTE ]

They'd probably make you pool tips. Wouldn't that be great?

I think a dealers union would be a terrible idea. What would they do, force the place to pay dealers more? That means the rake would have to go up to compensate.

Imo, dealers are better to be paid according to how good they are. Ie...tips.

Not to mention, just what exactly are your dues going to pay for?



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Why do you think they would push for pooling tips?
Unions for waitstaff don't demand it, why would one for dealers?

In San Jose, they rake around $160 an hour from the lower limits. Like another $2 an hour for the dealer or a few more benefits will justify hiking that up to $200 an hour in rake.

All the rake hikes in the casinos generating $40+ more per hour per table have added $0.00 to the dealers pay.

[psandman]

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I think a dealers union would be a terrible idea. What would they do, force the place to pay dealers more? That means the rake would have to go up to compensate.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pay rate is not the only issue a union can address. Issues like job security, how and when an employee can be disciplined, the ratio between full-time and extra board positions are all significant issues that can be addressed.


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Imo, dealers are better to be paid according to how good they are. Ie...tips.

[/ QUOTE ] Tips are not merit pay. The best dealers aren't necessarily the dealers earning the most. In fact today's inexperienced players often don't recognize what makes a dealer good. Sure being fast gets more hands out and that helps generate tips, but there are are plenty of players out there who think the best dealers are the guys who tell them jokes and "have personality". And of course attractice women make more -- is that because they are all better dealers?

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind working for tips. Bu do object to people confusing the idea of being a good tip earner and a good dealer.

[AngusThermopyle]

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Under the Culinary's master contract, waiters are guaranteed $10.14 an hour before tips, the highest rate in the nation. In Las Vegas, unionized hotel housekeepers generally earn $11.95 an hour, 50 percent more than in nonunion Reno. The Culinary contract guarantees workers 40 hours' pay each week, meaning housekeepers earn at least $478 a week, while in other cities housekeepers often work 30 hours and earn just $240. The Culinary's workers pay no premiums for health care, and they often pay just $10 for a dentist's visit, while nonunion workers often pay upwards of $150.

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2004 NY Times article on Culinary Local 226 of Las Vegas.

Do dealers have that good of health care? Guaranteed 40 hrs? $10+ per hour before tips? No union?

[RR]

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[ QUOTE ]
Under the Culinary's master contract, waiters are guaranteed $10.14 an hour before tips, the highest rate in the nation. In Las Vegas, unionized hotel housekeepers generally earn $11.95 an hour, 50 percent more than in nonunion Reno. The Culinary contract guarantees workers 40 hours' pay each week, meaning housekeepers earn at least $478 a week, while in other cities housekeepers often work 30 hours and earn just $240. The Culinary's workers pay no premiums for health care, and they often pay just $10 for a dentist's visit, while nonunion workers often pay upwards of $150.

[/ QUOTE ]

2004 NY Times article on Culinary Local 226 of Las Vegas.

Do dealers have that good of health care? Guaranteed 40 hrs? $10+ per hour before tips? No union?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would take a look at places where dealers are unionized (or maybe the couple in Vegas that are/were). A union has no negotiating power when there are a lot more people that want the job that feel no loyalty to the union. The culinary union is very strong and I would not compare that to dealing at all.

[psandman]

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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Under the Culinary's master contract, waiters are guaranteed $10.14 an hour before tips, the highest rate in the nation. In Las Vegas, unionized hotel housekeepers generally earn $11.95 an hour, 50 percent more than in nonunion Reno. The Culinary contract guarantees workers 40 hours' pay each week, meaning housekeepers earn at least $478 a week, while in other cities housekeepers often work 30 hours and earn just $240. The Culinary's workers pay no premiums for health care, and they often pay just $10 for a dentist's visit, while nonunion workers often pay upwards of $150.

[/ QUOTE ]

2004 NY Times article on Culinary Local 226 of Las Vegas.

Do dealers have that good of health care? Guaranteed 40 hrs? $10+ per hour before tips? No union?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would take a look at places where dealers are unionized (or maybe the couple in Vegas that are/were). A union has no negotiating power when there are a lot more people that want the job that feel no loyalty to the union. The culinary union is very strong and I would not compare that to dealing at all.

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I'm not sure why you think cocktail waitresses are that different than dealers in that regard. Those jobs are in high demand.

[psandman]

"It baffles me as to why, but that's another story."

Lets see, at Wynn Las Vegas we have management gettiung in on the Pit dealers tokes. At the WSOP we had Harrah's not pay us when we were promised and deny us a toke committee so that we could even make sure that we were getting all we had coming to us.

Many rooms are only hiring part-timers so that they can save on benefits. there are a lot of reasons that dealers may want to unionize. that doesn't mean its best for every dealer or at every casino, but in some cases a union would be a very good thing ofr dealers.

[52s]

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Lets see, at Wynn Las Vegas we have management gettiung in on the Pit dealers tokes.

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The Wynn pit dealers, IMO, can go f themselves for trying to rock the boat.

They are, by far, making the most $$$$ out of any dealers on the Strip, and because of it were and are likely living way high on the hog beyond their means.

Maybe if those fucknuts would've kicked some of that good fortune up to the right people instead of being greedy for themselves they would've never ended up in the situation they are in.

If they weren't allowed to tip out big? Then do it on the sly, or get something in place to allow it.

It was reported on the news about 3 weeks ago that the Wynn pit dealers are trying to unionize. To that I say good luck, and enjoy being outcasts among the dealers in Vegas.

(Note: I was working for UPS during the strike in 1997, and the union ended up doing jack [censored] for me, [censored] me out of pay they said they would give all strikers in the process. I'm wildly anti-union, to say the least.)