"Unions" for dealers?

juanez · #1 02-10-2007, 05:59 AM

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 · #2 02-10-2007, 08:22 AM

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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.

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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 · #3 02-10-2007, 08:30 AM

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.

psandman · #4 02-10-2007, 10:24 AM

"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.

RR · #5 02-10-2007, 10:38 AM

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

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In late 2000 or early 2001 the union that represents dealers came to Vegas. Poker dealers were excluded from the group (the union didn't waqnt to represent them). They had votes at the various casinos, the Stratosphere and Tropicana voted to have the union represent them, the others voted against having a union. I don't know what has happened since then, but at the time I heard the Union was not able to negotiate enough of a raise to cover the union dues so their members ended up with less money in their pocket.

VORP · #6 02-10-2007, 02:12 PM

The casino I work for already does everything by seniority; extra board to fulltime, better shifts, etc. And can’t imagine a union would get me much, if any, increase in base pay so I’m not sure what benefit it would have. We might get a few more fulltime positions but I doubt it would be too many. The nature of the business requires quite a bit of scheduling flexibility. Personally I don’t see any use for a union; however, I think my room does a good job of taking care of their dealers and I could understand how others might feel differently.

Oh, and obviously pooling tips would suck big time. Every good dealer I know feels the same way but I have heard a handful of dealers wish we pooled tips. I have no idea what the overall split is, but if I union was discussing that I would be strongly opposed to it.

AngusThermopyle · #7 02-10-2007, 02:30 PM

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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.

RR · #8 02-10-2007, 02:46 PM

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The casino I work for already does everything by seniority; extra board to fulltime, better shifts, etc. And can’t imagine a union would get me much, if any, increase in base pay so I’m not sure what benefit it would have.

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With a few exceptions when a union has tried to enroll dealers the delaers vote it down. When there are people that would like to have the jobs a union doesn't have much bargaining power. As far as casinos going be seniority that does create a serious issue because casinos like to retain the best staff and the best staff often does not have the most seniority.

52s · #9 02-10-2007, 04:22 PM

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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.)

psandman · #10 02-10-2007, 07:55 PM

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

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Yeah most people who happily accept a sizable pay cut so that there supervisors could have a pay increase -- these guys are out of line for "rocking the boat." Isn't "rocking the Boat" a term we use for someone who does something other thna the usual -- isn't it Wynn who is rocking the boat by altering the usual pay system?

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They are, by far, making the most $$$$ out of any dealers on the Strip,

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This simply isn't true.ven if you mean "were" this isn't true since you say they were "by far" the highest paid on the strip. here are other dealers on the strip who make similar money.

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and because of it were and are likely living way high on the hog beyond their means.

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Most people today live beyond their means. What does this have to do with anything?

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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.

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Thats not the current system that table games dealers in vegas use. I know that you, like me, are used to tipping out those above us, butthats because that is the usual custom and practice of our position, it is not the usual custom and prtactice of their job.

[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]hey won't be outcats if they succeed in unionizing. They will be simply be the first and more will follow.

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(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.)

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Well thats your mistake. Unions are not always the answer, but sometimes they are. I for one would not support a union at my current workplace. But as a former Harrah's employee I can tell you I would have supported a union there.