Casino dealers at Paris Las Vegas, Bally’s and Harrah’s approve contract
Casino dealers at three of the Strip’s most popular resorts have overwhelmingly approved a multi-year contract with Caesars Entertainment Corp.
Dealers at Paris Las Vegas, Bally’s and Harrah’s voted 342 to 27 late Tuesday to approve the five-year deal, which retains grievance procedures, seniority rule and paid time off, among other issues, according to a union official.
“It was certainly not everything we wanted, but they didn’t get everything they wanted,” Transport Workers Union Local 721 gaming director Joe Carbon said Wednesday. “Hopefully we can move forward and continue to build on this.”
Carbon attributed their success to “moving away from a strategy of getting in your face to trying to work with them.” He said the union represents around 1,200 employees at the three properties.
This is the third time since 2010 that Las Vegas dealers have voted to approve a union contract.
The Transport Workers Union, which arrived in Las Vegas in 2000, represents dealers at four Caesars Entertainment properties, including Caesars Palace. The union represents dealers at Wynn Las Vegas, but not at its sister property, Encore.
Gary Thompson, a spokesman with Caesars Entertainment, said the gaming company was “pleased the dealers ratified the five-year deal negotiated with the Transport Workers Union.”
“We think they are fair for both sides,” Thompson said.
In July 2012, 89 percent of casino dealers at Caesars Palace ratified an 8 1/2-year contract that includes job security, seniority rights and other workplace protections. The contract came five years after some 560 Caesars Palace dealers voted to be represented by the union.
Carbon said the contract did have a tip-sharing provision similar to the one included in the Caesars Palace contract, but would not be implemented unless complicated criteria were met.
The Nevada Supreme Court said in a unanimous decision in October that tip sharing by casino dealers with their supervisors is permitted under state law. The ruling stemmed from the case regarding the validity of Wynn Resorts’ tip-pool policy.
Anger over the tip-sharing policy led dealers at Wynn Las Vegas to vote for collective bargaining representation in 2008 through the TWU. In November 2010, Wynn Las Vegas dealers voted 258 to 65 to approve the resort’s first-ever labor contract for table games dealers.
Contact reporter Chris Sieroty at csieroty@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @sierotyfeatures on Twitter.
Dealers at Paris Las Vegas, Bally’s and Harrah’s voted 342 to 27 late Tuesday to approve the five-year deal, which retains grievance procedures, seniority rule and paid time off, among other issues, according to a union official.
