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Below are some relevant questions, answers, and commonly held
misperceptions about what this whole process entails.
What the heck is private equity?
Read this!
So they want to bring in a union.
This statement is a
misperception. We are the ones who constitute our Union. We
are the ones who determine which issues are to be negotiated, and we are
the ones who ratify our Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Who are we asking to help us?
Aside from asking us, your coworkers, for help, we are asking Transport Workers Union
of America (TWU) to assist us. TWU Dealers Local 721 (natural
winner/blackjack) is a part
of AFL-CIO. What if our representatives negotiate us a
bad Contract?
We may choose to not
ratify the contract. If we feel that we would not have a good
Collective Bargaining Agreement, we are not stuck with it.
By becoming a Union, it will just be putting somebody there who will be
getting in between us and management.
In between us? The Union is ourselves! What we hear you saying is that
you just don’t want us in the room when executives make decisions
without us present.
They just want my money.
NO. Within the state laws of Nevada exists a
condition commonly referred to as “right to work.” What this means, in
terms of Union membership, is that all employees are covered under the
same Collective Bargaining Agreement as the rest of their coworkers. The representatives
from TWU are so confident in their ability to successfully negotiate
contracts that they are willing to do so without requiring us to pay for
the contract that protects us.
Union guys get rich off of our sweat.
NO. It is Gary Loveman and executives of Harrah's who have been getting rich on our backs. If upper
management feels that we have a legitimate chance of getting a better
stake in the success of our company, they will be bringing in their own
representatives, in addition to the current staff that they have, to try
to keep everything that’s been taken from us for themselves.
We are inviting in an organization with an understanding of how to help
us speak for ourselves at the bargaining table. The
Organizers of TWU are here to help us with administrative and legal issues, much
the same way that Harrah's hires its own lawyers and accountants.
The UAW has had to make numerous concessions with automakers, and Unions
are weak and would have no purpose in our community.
Wrong. The automobile and manufacturing industries are much different from a service
industry. General Motors can relocate plants to Mexico and overseas in
order to cut its costs. This is one thing that Harrah’s cannot do.
People who come to Lake Tahoe would be less inclined to gamble if it
meant being shipped to Singapore to do so.
This won’t accomplish anything.
Unfortunately, if there are enough people with this attitude, this will
be the case.
Harrah's is gonna do what they’re gonna do.
Yes, if you continue to choose to allow your employer to make all of the
decisions without your consent.
NO, if you decide to help us form our Union.
Of course, they’ll continue doing whatever they feel like doing, so long
as we do not have a contract which prevents them from doing so.
This will solve all of our problems.
NO. This is to help level the playing field. Harrah’s uses its money to
make more money, whether it involves investing in marketing, acquiring
new properties, or determining issues that affect workers without their
consent.
I will get in trouble if I sign the card.
NO. You will be sending your card to the people who want to
represent us. Your information is between you, TWU, and the
National Labor Relations Board.
Your employer has no access to
who signed their cards or how individuals voted - unless, of course, the
vote is unanimous. From TWU's literature:
Why Join TWU?
Non-union workers today have little or no say over their wages and
benefits. Nor do they have input into what goes on in their
workplace. They watch as management awards themselves high
salaries, unending perks and golden parachutes, while those who actually
make the company successful, the workers, see their wages and benefits
stagnate or reduced.
With TWU, this will change. You will
have a real say over your own destiny and the future of your company.
How much are dues in TWU?
Union dues are equal to two times the member's base hourly rate of pay
per month. (excluding overtime and shift differential) [our tips
affect this] When do we begin paying dues?
Dues payment does not begin until a contract is negotiated and ratified
by the members. The dues are not retroactive. How is the outcome determined?
In
order to have a Union, a majority of those voting must vote for the
union in order to be certified as your collective bargaining agent.
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