SEARCH NEWS:

 

Experts: Downtown Workers' Age a Factor

LAS VEGAS -- Downtown's older workforce could have a significant impact on contract negotiations between Culinary Local 226, Bartender's Local 165 and downtown casino operators, experts said Wednesday.

Downtown Culinary members are 39.8 percent more likely to be 50 years of age or older than their Strip counterparts, according to union statistics.

The demographic difference is key, experts believe, because workers require more expensive health care as they age.

"Older workers are particularly interested in health-care benefits," said Brigitte Madrian, University of Chicago professor and labor expert. "Health care costs increase with age, and older workers are more willing to strike to protect those benefits."

The quality and cost of worker health care are the key issues separating operators of seven downtown casinos and union negotiators as they try to hammer out a new contract before the Culinary's July 1 strike deadline.

Downtown casino operators reached a Wednesday agreement with Culinary officials to hold three negotiation sessions beginning next week, lawyer Gregg Kamer said.

Sessions are scheduled for June 20, 24 and 26, at a neutral location yet to be determined.

Kamer represents the Las Vegas Club, Western, El Cortez, Plaza, Binion's Horseshoe, Fitzgeralds and the Four Queens.

Union members insist they'll strike in order to keep downtown workers on the same health-care plan as Strip workers. The plan provides comprehensive coverage to workers, their spouses and dependents with no out-of paycheck deductions.

Downtown operators, however, argue they can't afford the new Strip plan.

Instead, they are asking the union to let downtown members be covered by the individual company health plans, a change they estimate could save as much as 50 percent of the cost of the Strip plan.

Downtown hotel-casinos have older workers because of their historic role as break-in joints for tip-earners, said University of Nevada, Las Vegas Professor Shannon Bybee.

"The tip earners made less downtown, so some of the better workers, those in demand, would leave and take jobs on the Strip," Bybee said.

As the remaining workers aged they were less likely to leave for new opportunities at Strip megaresorts as they gained seniority at their downtown workplaces, Bybee said.

Older job applicants also suffer from discrimination that makes them less likely to be offered new jobs, he added.

Another reason Strip resorts have fewer older workers, Bybee noted, was the incredible number of new hotel rooms and restaurants added after The Mirage's 1989 opening signaled the beginning of the megaresort era.

Many of the older downtown workers have been members of the Culinary for decades and were instrumental in creating the union's health care and pension plans, Culinary Secretary-Treasurer D. Taylor said.

"When you're older, health care and pension benefits are more important to you - that's obvious," Taylor said. "It's important to our downtown workers, but there is a real tie between our downtown members and our Strip members."

Many Strip workers started their careers downtown, Taylor said, noting that quite a few older downtown members have adult children working on the Strip.

Those ties will allow the union to demonstrate its solidarity at a series of upcoming rallies, he explained.

Convention-going members of the Communications Workers of America and of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees plan to join Culinary members for separate downtown rallies on Tuesday and June 26, respectively.

Union officials plan a major June 21 rally on Fremont Street as well, with Taylor stating that the event's turnout will demonstrate how solidly the union backs downtown workers' desire to keep a single, citywide health plan.

"There is real feeling that any company that wants to take members out of our health plan is attacking the union itself," he said. "That will be reflected in the turnout on the 21st."

Taylor said the racial makeup of the Culinary's downtown workforce was a reflection of the way Las Vegas was before the Strip building boom.

Blacks workers make up 14.9 percent of the union's downtown workforce; 8.7 percent of its Strip membership is black.

"Clearly many of these people, African-Americans and others helped build this union," he said.

Culinary political director Glen Arnodo said the numbers of black downtown Culinary members is significant.

"Many of these African-American workers have given their lives to one casino, and they're offended at being asked to accept second-class health care," Arnodo said.

Kamer had a different take on how the age of workers could affect negotiations.

Kamer said downtown property owners have close relationships with many of their experienced workers, and suggested that those long-term ties could make a strike more difficult.

"That is the tragedy of a strike when the parties are this far apart," Kamer said. "The workers are torn between loyalties to their properties and their unions. It's a lose-lose situation, because it's confrontational and they have to make a decision. Either you're a scab or a striker."

Downtown casino operators reached a Wednesday agreement with Culinary officials to hold three negotiation sessions beginning next week, lawyer Gregg Kamer said.

Sessions are scheduled for June 20, 24 and 26, at a neutral location yet to be determined.

Kamer represents the Las Vegas Club, Western, El Cortez, Plaza, Binion's Horseshoe, Fitzgeralds and the Four Queens.

< Gaming News