Dozens protest new tip policy outside Wynn Las Vegas

[NVMojo]

how come the rich are so cold and greedy?

LAS VEGAS - Dozens of protesters rallied outside Wynn Las Vegas against the resort's new policy that redistributes a portion of casino dealers' tips to their supervisors.

Chris Heath, a San Antonio accountant, said she joined about 75 other sign-carrying protesters Friday to show support for her brother, who is a Wynn dealer.

She criticized billionaire casino magnate Steve Wynn, the developer whose upscale casino resorts transformed the Las Vegas Strip. She said her brother's income has dropped 20 percent since the policy took effect Sept. 1.

"It's wrong for this big, rich man to steal money from people who live paycheck to paycheck," Heath told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "If he thinks his front-line managers don't make enough money, he should give them a raise, and not do it on the backs of their subordinates."

Organizer Jack Lipsman of the International Union of Gaming Employees said the group initiated the protest to stand up for the rights of dealers.

"For the first time in 75 years of gaming, (Steve Wynn) is taking dealers' tip money and using it to pay salaries," Lipsman said.

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2006/nov/25/112510544.html

[liberal N proud]

1. I am heading out there on Monday, This could be interesting, I don't like crossing picket lines

That is just wrong, when I tip, I am tipping the individual serving me or my party.
There are restaurants that spit the tips among all the waiting staff equally. Now that dose nothing to promote high quality service among the staff. Why put out if part of your tip is going to be given to someone else.

[NVMojo]

2. I agree!

[unblock]

3. unfortunately, most people do NOT tip JUST based on their server's performance

most restaurant patrons leave servers lousy tips if the cook ruined the meal or if the manager didn't fix the scratchy sound system, etc., even if the server handled it brilliantly. and the reality is that managers and customers alike DO ultimately want the people behind the scenes to have some kind of performance incentives.

in and ideal world, customers could accurately diagnose who on the team performed well and who didn't, and tip individuals accordingly, but it doesn't work that way. restaurants tip out to allow for a one-size-fits-all tip.

[Greyhound]

17. Are you saying this is a good idea? n/t

[Hawkeye-X]

13. I'm in Las Vegas now.

And I'm not even coming close to Wynn during my trip.

Fuck 'em.

Hawkeye-X

[truthisfreedom]

4. I think the gaming industry is weakening so badly that this is the result.

I believe Wynn is probably looking at the bottom line and projecting BIG trouble in the long run. I was recently in Vegas and there just weren't that many people gambling in any of the big casinos... however, all of the shows ("O", Chris Rock) that I went to were completely sold out.

[TankLV]

7. Actually, the casinos are so profitable, they could give their food away for FREE...

That they don't helps keep out the Riffraff - that's the MAIN reason...

The second reason, is that it adds a few million to their yearly take to charge for the food and beverage services/restaurants...

Did you know that some, if not most, of the vending machines make over several million dollars a year PROFIT in the casinos? And that's just the vending machines...

I am in the WRONG profession if I only wanted to make megga bucks...

[Hawkeye-X]

14. That's because people can't afford to gamble

with the outrageous minimum bets.

I've seen more Chinese/Asians than Americans here during my trip.

Of course, I got to meet Derek Jeter at the MGM Grand today.

[shanti]

5. screw wynn

there are many more casinos to choose from, hope he realizes that.

[TankLV]

8. And it's a BIG union town...

The culinary workers union is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest...

[BadGimp]

6. Wealth Redistribution Republican Style

Amazing...and at the samne time sad and disgusting.

[Bozita]

10. Give kindly, folks. All tips are shared with management!

unfuckingbelievable!

What part of "more" don't they understand?

[rocktivity]

9. TORO TURD!

Before the change, dealers at Wynn Las Vegas earned an average of $100,000 a year in wages and tips, while their managers typically took home a salary alone of about $60,000 annually. Officials maintained the imbalance caused a shortage of workers willing to take on supervisory positions.

The policy, which also gave managers an increase in base wages, realigned dealers to an average of $90,000 a year, while supervisors began making $95,000 a year. But some dealers have complained the change could cost them as much as $30,000 a year in tips.

Without knowing what a dealer's base salary is (and I doubt that the reporter's not mentioning it is an accident), I have to agree: Wynn is obviously not paying his supervisors enough, and it's up to him, not the people who report to them, to make up the difference. Also, I am very interested in knowing how this policy is enforced. I thought they got rid of all the kickbacks and money laundering in Las Vegas--how can effectively playing your supervisor's salary possibly be legal?

:headbang:
rocknation

[RamboLiberal]

11. I would say the Dealers are not exactly hurting

Before the change, dealers at Wynn Las Vegas earned an average of $100,000 a year in wages and tips, while their managers typically took home a salary alone of about $60,000 annually.

Officials maintained the imbalance caused a shortage of workers willing to take on supervisory positions.

The policy, which also gave managers an increase in base wages, realigned dealers to an average of $90,000 a year, while supervisors began making $95,000 a year.

But some dealers have complained the change could cost them as much as $30,000 a year in tips.

Makes me wish I had rethought my career choice. I would say it's hard to supervise employees or to get good supervisors if you're earning much less than those you supervise. But I think it should be Wynn who ups the supervisor salaries so they would equal or exceed the dealers. It's not like casinos are exactly hurting.

[Greyhound]

19. exactly, this is how the much vaunted "free market" is supposed to work.

If you can't hire supervisors at $60K, you offer $70K or more, to attract the people you need. How stupid can we get, is there some bottom that we will eventually reach?

[Occulus]

12. Could the customers call it a gift?

Doesn't 'gift' have a different legal meaning than 'tip'?

:think:

[rocktivity]

15. Kick(back)

:evilgrin:
rocknation

[rman]

16. well, uhm, supervisors work hard and they really need the money?

no?

[rocktivity]

20. Of course supervisors should make more than their subordinates

But it's up to the THEIR superiors to provide the money, not their own subordinates!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Greyhound]

18. Vegas was so much more fun when the Mafia ran it.

They know how to take your money and still make you want to go back and give them more. The corporations have ruined it.