WE ARE THE UNION!
^Click the ^Employee Free Choice Act^ to sign the petition^
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WE ARE THE UNION!
^Click the ^Employee Free Choice Act^ to sign the petition^
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RESPONSE TO LETTER SIGNED BY JIMMY WIKE: Dear "Hired Guns" of Harrah's, Thank you for wasting the postage on all of the letters which was sent to the Dealer's "private homes". The postage was equal to 10 hours work of our next "raise", without a Union. You have "invaded the privacy of our homes" with your propaganda. We believe most who did not have to work on the Thanksgiving Holiday (as most of us did, while all of the Harrah's executives were no doubt with their families) had a Happy Holiday. But then again, the "hired guns" didn't even care to ask how it was for us, but made mention on how we made it "special" for Caesars Palace's customers. Thanks for the "care" for us there. What "FACTS" have we not provided to the Dealers of Caesars Palace of the "election process, contract negotiations and the TWU"? The one's the "hired guns" from out of state are going to make up? Will they be providing everyone with a copy of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)? Don't forget those "FACTS" please. While they are at it, maybe they should do a better job of warning our floor supervisors and ACM's about ULP's. They all seem to be "uneducated" about the Law covered by the NLRA. We hope Harrah's "hired guns" will do a better job of "educating" ALL Caesars Palace employees, INCLUDING management, than what they have done so far. Funny, Harrah's followed the "Law", as required by the NLRB, by providing the names and addresses to the NLRB, and they in turn provided that "list" to the TWU. We guess it maybe was more important than following the Law for Building Permits? And by the way, an OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of Dealers beat Harrah's to the NLRB and had already submitted their names and contact information to the Union and the NLRB by way of Union Authorization Cards. Like Santa, we will be "checking the list" provided by Caesars Palace. Tell us please, what does "just about anything" really mean? Tell us, how will the TWU spread "rumors" on Caesars Palace property when they are not even allowed on the property by Harrah's? We haven't heard ANY rumors that started from the TWU, but we have however heard MANY that have started from management. Witnesses and all. It is Harrah's who is spreading the "fear" rumors, NOT the TWU. We haven't heard of
ANYONE who has been "stopped on their way home" by the
TWU, nor have they paid ANYONE a "visit at their homes".
Not even a phone call has been made by the TWU to ANYONE. The TWU DOES
care for our "privacy". Yes, they have mailed literature to
individual's homes, but ONLY to the homes of the individuals who supplied the
TWU with their personal information way before Harrah's did. The solicitations
of the TWU were "welcome". The letter from Caesars Palace on the
other hand was NOT welcome by an overwhelming majority of the Dealers!
Caesars Palace is the one invading our privacy, NOT the TWU, just as your
“hired guns” stated in their letter "...Caesars Palace will
continue to respect your privacy away from work." Continue? They
already have shown with their letter that they have NOT respected our privacy. We
did NOT ask for their letter, but an overwhelming majority of Dealers DID
ask for information from the TWU. Also, when the “mandatory meetings” are
called to “educate” us the “Harrah’s way”, doesn’t management
realize that we will have to take time away from our “families and
personal life” to attend these meetings? Throughout life we have learned many things, and one thing many of us have learned is that a "liar" is the FIRST to point their fingers at someone else, blaming them for what the "liar" has said or done. Harrah's has pointed the first finger, and then in the very next paragraph contradicted themselves. We are NOT "morons". Harrah’s "goal" is to give us the "FACTS"? Really? Like the "FACT" that we now get a point for every day we call in sick from the very first day? The "FACT" that we have lost company contribution to our 401(k)'s? The "FACT" that we no longer have seniority? The "FACT" that we make $3-per-hour LESS than the lowest paid Union employee on our property? The "FACT" that we pay more for our health insurance than ANY other casino in town? The "FACT" that Harrah's is self-insured and profits from health insurance premiums? The "FACT" that favoritism is rampant? The "FACT" that professional career Dealers are treated like children? The "FACT" that evaluations are continually sent back because they are to high? The "FACT" that evaluations are done by supervisors who NEVER work side-by-side with the employee they are evaluating? The "FACT" that Harrah's does not care about our health issues? The "FACT" that Harrah's will not stand behind their Dealers and back them up from drunk and obnoxious players? The "FACT" is, WE WORK ON THE CASINO FLOOR and are NOT IGNORANT. Do NOT try to say the Union is trying to "mislead" people! When Harrah’s is the one's guilty of that. They are telling those who are living the life and walking in their shoes that they are not, and that does NOTHING BUT PISS THEM OFF. WE ARE ADULTS! Now, that about covers the first page of your “hired guns” "unsolicited" letter. On to the "questions" and the "F-A-C-T-S". Harrah’s questions will be in italics, just to remind everyone what Mr. Wike signed (and by the way, this is the first time ANY Dealer at Caesars Palace has even seen his signature). We would also like to remind you, the answers we are giving are from the Organizing Committee (over 30+ of us), Dealers from Caesars Palace who HAVE been "educating" themselves about Unions and the TWU. Most of us have already learned our lessons the "hard way" from Harrah's.
1. "What specifically is the Union going to do to make my life better? Will the TWU put its guarantees in writing?" (2-part question designed to look like one? Deceptive don't you think?) ANSWER: Specifically? Well, let's ask the Union members at Caesars Palace. Let's ask the Culinary members what "specifically" the Union has done to make their lives better. Or maybe the Teamsters? Or the Operating Engineers? Let's ask them. Will they be present at our "educational" meetings? We hope so, because that would be the proper way to educate us now wouldn't it? (Part 2) In "writing"? What a laugh that question is! WHAT "GUARANTEES" HAS CAESARS PALACE EVER PUT INTO "WRITING" FOR US? And Harrah's has been here how long? They have had PLENTY of opportunity to "put it in writing" now haven't they? But have they? NO! Sure, they make "policy", like taking away our toke by-laws at their whim. Harrah's changes the "point system" whenever they feel like it. Is THAT what is called "in writing"? Now, HERE is what the Union WILL GUARANTEE US: Once we vote "YES" for the Union, we will then be covered by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA, which is "in writing" by the Federal Government of the United States of America) and NOTHING can be taken unilaterally away from us. EVERYTHING stays "STATUS QUO" until EVERYTHING is negotiated in a CBA. We know that, the “hired guns” will NOT educate us about that. Next, once we vote "YES" for the Union, they will guarantee that we will get to the NEGOTIATING TABLE and that they will provide us with LEGAL COUNSEL at the Negotiating table as advisors. They will also train our Negotiating Committee. Now WHAT will Caesars Palace "Guarantee" us and "put in writing"?
2. "Is it true that the only thing the TWU can "win" in the election is the right to speak for the Dealers?" ANSWER: First of all, is THIS how the “hired guns” plan on "educating" us? By trying to mislead us? The answer to their question is "NO it is NOT true". The TWU is NOT going to "speak for us"; we are going to FINALLY GET TO SPEAK FOR OURSELVES and are going to be backed up by the NLRA!
3. "What can happen as a result of good faith negotiations? Is it possible that I can lose some of what I now have? Since no one can predict or guarantee what happens in negotiations, am I willing to put my 401(k), PTO and other benefits at risk in negotiations?" (This one is a 3-part question designed to look like one. Again with the deception.) ANSWER: Again, why don't we ask the other Union members at Caesars Palace "What can happen as a result of good faith negotiations"? Let's see, the Culinary just several months ago signed a CBA with Harrah's that is being touted as their best contract ever. The cocktail waitresses got how much of a raise? About 50% of what a Dealer makes after 20+ years? We know Harrah’s knows what we have LOST over the years as Dealers at Caesars Palace, and we did that WITHOUT a Union. We are ALREADY LOSING BENEFITS, 401(k) and PTO INCLUDED! We are trying to "stop the bleeding"! Evidently we can't do it by ourselves, so we need to unite to make one LOUD voice, then MAYBE we can stop what we are losing EVERY YEAR without a Union! Let's bring the Teamsters into our "educational meetings”. Let's ask them these very same questions.
4. "Have I read the contract the TWU negotiated on behalf of the Frontier's Dealers? What did the TWU's contract say about tokes?" (Here we go again, a 2-part question designed to look like one. This deception is what is driving us you know.) ANSWER: First of all, the Frontier Dealers DID vote the Union in. Secondly, they DID get to the negotiating table and management DID negotiate. Thirdly, management DID sign a contract with the Dealers. Fourth, it was NOT the TWU who negotiated the contract; it was the Dealers of the Frontier! Why does Harrah’s continue to try to deceive us? What did their contract say about tokes? Was Steve Wynn seizing Dealers tokes back then? We think not. No disrespect to the Frontier Dealers intended, but the Dealers there DID agree to the contract and they DID ratify it. So, if the contract wasn't the "best", who's fault was it? Not the TWU's! Did your “hired guns” stop to think that maybe the TWU reps advised against them signing the contract? The TWU will NOT force the Dealers to sign ANYTHING! Maybe the Dealers had their reasons for accepting the contract, even against the TWU's advice. Can Caesars Palace prove to us that the TWU advised the Frontier Dealers to sign their contract? Can Caesars Palace show us where the TWU forces ANY of their Locals to sign contracts? We can show you where it is outlined that each Local is autonomous and makes their own decisions concerning contracts. We have also read the Detroit Dealer's contracts. And the Culinary and the Teamsters and the Operating Engineers. Have your “hired guns”?
5. "Shouldn't I "wait and see" if the TWU gets a contract (and what's in the contract) at Wynn Las Vegas before I consider voting for the Union?" (Another 2-part question designed to look like one. More deception.) ANSWER: NO!!!!!!! We are getting very tired of being treated like idiots. Do we have to spell out the Wynn situation? We also liked how Harrah's “hired guns” wrote and parenthesized "wait and see". IF we take the "wait and see" approach, by then the Nevada Courts will probably have decided on the Wynn situation and the redistribution of tokes. Is that what Harrah’s wants us to do, just in case Wynn wins, so they can then take our tokes? Where is the "guarantee" in "writing" by Harrah’s? At least we know we can protect our tokes and ourselves after we vote the Union in with the NLRA laws. If we want to compare contracts, let's pull out the contracts of the other employees who work on Caesars Palace property. Employees on the same property, maybe we can get similar treatment.
6. "Am I proud to be a Dealer at Caesars Palace? Do I enjoy working here?" (Another 2-part question designed to look like one). ANSWER: Proud? Many of us WERE at one time proud to be considered the "elite" amongst all Dealers. Those days are gone. Are we "proud" every time a customer tells us we have the worst BJ rules in town? Are we "proud" when we are explaining why the rooms have no coffee machines? Are we "proud" every time a losing drunk gets to tear into us and even get us fired? Proud? Although most of us take "pride" in our work, but to say we are "proud" to work at a casino that was at one time at the top and is deteriorating daily? Enjoy working at Caesars Palace? Really? When every day we walk in the door knowing it could be our last day on the job if we run into the wrong situation that is beyond our control and have nobody to back us up? When we can't eat in Cleo's without having to rush to the restroom 20 minutes later? When our tokes are down anywhere from $8-15K from last year? When they wave a false unattainable CSA bonus in our face while we read about all of management’s bonuses? When we have to pay more for insurance than any other Dealer in town? Oh, and while we are close to this subject, the Dealers at Caesars Palace are NOT paid by Caesars Palace but about 1/6 of what we earn. Caesars Palace DOES NOT PAY US OUR TOKES, and we plan on keeping it that way! Maybe those who have no idea how run down the place is because they are too new to know what it used to be “enjoy” it. Maybe they are "happy" to be in a casino they only heard about years ago.
7. "Is the company investing in the future of our casino hotel to keep us competitive and ensure the future for all Caesars employees?" ANSWER: Maybe if they would start by placing coffee machines in the rooms for our guests we could buy into that. We have lost most every "george" we have had. Why? Because of how Caesars Palace top executives treat them. They get nothing but bad rules on games and carnival games. What was the table limits at Caesars Palace when Harrah’s took over? $10K on all the tables? What are they now? We don't want to hear about the "plans" to raise the limits after the first of the year. Harrah’s is not doing it now, so why should we believe they will in the future? Load up the penny slots! The company is investing in the "future" of a "select few", and we all know it. Short-term returns are a wonderful thing when you do not plan on being here for the long haul. What is the average stay of a top executive at Caesars Palace? CEO? CFO? CM? ACM even? Very short. They drain the company and then run away every time.
8. "Why are certain Dealers pushing for the TWU? What do they have to gain if the Union wins the election?" (ANOTHER 2-part question designed to look like one). ANSWER: Excuse us? Now maybe we know the source of the "rumor" that was flying around about the Organizing Committee getting some kind of special seniority or pay. And Harrah’s wants to point a finger at the TWU for spreading lies? WHAT is Harrah's doing? Also, an OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of Dealers signed and mailed in cards. How can Harrah's call them all "certain Dealers"? Do they mean all the "pro-Union" Dealers who sent in cards? (DECEPTION BY the "hired guns" AGAIN!) The answer to your “hired guns” MISLEADING question is this, the Organizing Committee would have taken the same Union the Wynn Dealers joined, no matter who it was. It turned out to be the TWU, and thankfully so. This is how we build “solidarity”, by every Dealer belonging to one Union. What do the "certain Dealers have to gain?" The same exact thing EVERY DEALER AT CAESAR PALACE HAS TO GAIN! NOT ONE IOTA MORE! Who is "misleading" now? HARRAH'S IS! Tell us, what do the “hired guns” who wrote this letter for Harrah’s have to gain if they defeat our Union Drive? Tell everyone how much the two "hired guns" are being paid to write your letters for Harrah’s. They have to report it you know. We can tell you, and every Dealer at Caesars Palace, that the average these guys get paid is $10K per employee in the voting unit. They also stand to gain bonuses in the millions if the vote fails for the Dealers. So, doing the math, the two “hired guns” that wrote this letter can make what, $7-8million for five weeks work? And you want to try to make insinuations that the Dealers who are standing up for their legal rights as a U.S. citizen may get something more than the ill-treatment by management they are receiving. Dealers of Caesars Palace, ASK the two “strangers” (the “hired guns”) at the upcoming meetings how much they are getting paid. ASK THEM how much they will earn to keep all of us from getting a contract. Ask them to their faces and so everyone can hear their response. We will tell anyone to their face, that anyone on the organizing committee or any IHO, or any Dealer associated with the Union drive, will get no added benefits that every other Union Dealer won’t get. PERIOD. We are doing it for OUR FUTURE, the one that Caesars Palace keeps tearing away from us. Take a look around, listen to the customers complain about how bad it is getting. We know the TRUTH. Also, EVERY DEALER at Caesars Palace has been invited to join either the Organizing Committee and/or the IHO's many times, and many have. Many more than Harrah’s knows about. We don't promote "favoritism" and never will.
9. "Can the Union really do anything to fix the things that bother me at work? Maybe I'm frustrated with some things that have happened, but is that any reason to vote for the TWU?" (Again with the 2-part question) ANSWER: Are these “hired guns” serious? Being taken into the office by two managers at a time, with no witness on our side? Then being sent home and being told that they do not have to tell you why and for us to call HR the following day? Are they serious? With a Union we will have a Shop Steward and THAT practice will stop. What about all of the harassment? Management, just like the “responsible gaming” facade, stands it for it daily. What about all of the "favoritism"? What about the slap in the face with a $.04 pay raise? What about ZERO annual bonus while our CEO gets the 10's of millions? It doesn't seem like without a Union things are working that great. Let's again bring in some Caesars Palace Union employees and ask them this question. And by the way, what "…things that have happened…” would Harrah’s be talking about? You lead us to believe that we work in a perfect environment. NOTHING ever gets fixed, it just gets worse. STOP THE BLEEDING NOW!
10. "What do I know about the TWU? What do they have to gain from the election other than developing a vast pool of Dealers from which to collect dues?" (FINALLY, the last of the deceptive numbered questions! Another 2-parter!) ANSWER: Well, we know that they have a website where we can get an abundance of information. We know we can use the Internet to find any negative information as well, but have found NONE. We also know that they make their annual financial reports to the Department of Labor and anyone can access the reports to check out their "credit worthiness" if that is what you would like to call it. What State do we live and work in? NEVADA! And, what is Nevada? A RIGHT TO WORK STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO UNION DUES if you chose not to pay!!!!!!!!!!!! Harrah’s wants to educate us? They need to “educate” themselves first. So, what does the Union really have to gain? S-O-L-I-D-A-R-I-T-Y! What do the hired Union Busters have to gain if we vote "no"? B-O-N-U-S in the M-I-L-L-I-O-N-S! No Harrah’s, you will not "give" us the answers, we already have them. And the way Harrah’s states that, "We will give you the answers to these questions..." as if they are going to force them down our throat. Maybe it should have said, "We will 'provide' you with the answers..." Harrah’s just can't stop with the "control" can they? THAT is what THEY have to lose, in addition to the possibility that the Dealers will get fair pay and benefits compared to all of the other Union workers of Caesars Palace! Many of us have "taken the time" and researched the TWU. Like we have said, the Internet. We are no longer living in the "dark ages". Stop with the lies and misleading "FACTS", we are NOT children. One last thing, please be careful promoting Dealers to "talk with their managers" if they have any questions about the Union, as has been "advised" in the last paragraph of the letter written by Harrah’s “hired guns’ and signed by Mr. Wike. ULP's can be costly. Harrah’s may want to "educate" themselves and read NLRA and NLRA Violations and Employee Rights. Everyone please do as Harrah’s has advised and "educate
yourselves". Do NOT take their word as “gospel, because they stand to not
only lose millions to us, but also that feeling of their almighty “control”
over us.
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For More Information Please Contact Us At: email: TWULocal721.org or Call: Las Vegas Dealers Local 721 at: 702-476-0648 or Visit: 2770 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite 510 Updated: July 16, 2008 © 2007-08 by TWULocal721.org All Rights Reserved |
