With casino/hotel contracts expired June 1, Culinary leaders mobilize members

Culinary union leaders Wednesday sent a missive to members about a Monday meeting with MGM Resorts on contracts that expired at the beginning of the month, detailing negotiating points and making a call to action.

There's also an announcement of a June 14 rally on the Strip in the missive, which I have obtained:

Committee members from Culinary 226 and Bartenders 165 met on Monday, June 3 with representatives from MGM Resorts for the third 2013 contract meeting.

Our negotiating team proposed the following:

Local Joint Board Contract Proposal

June 3, 2013

First, we want a contract that allows our members and your workers an Opportunity to Provide for themselves and their loved ones.

• Maintain the one pool of money for wages and benefits like we have negotiated for over a decade.
• Benefits
  • Health & Welfare - We estimate the cost of our current Health and Welfare plan in 2013 would be .53 per hour or all hours earned. We think we need to look at ways to reduce cost without sacrificing quality.
    • Succeeding years in the contract would reflect higher and higher cost due to rising health care cost and the requirements of ObamaCare.
    • Propose to form a partnership to gain control and certainty over cost by building and developing our own medical centers in Las Vegas.
    • This would ensure quality and control over health care and reduce cost in the future.
  • Pension – Maintain our pension plan during the life of the contract. It is a well run defined benefit plan.
  • We have increased contributions over the years in order to be financially sound.
  • Training, housing, tip earning funds – Maintenance of all funds for the life of the contract.
• Wages – Like in previous contracts, wage increases come out of the pool of money we negotiate. We think that system has worked well for all.

• Term of Contract  - We think for stability and security in providing that the term of the contract should be as long as possible if the economics work for our members.
• Growth – We want to grow with the company both in Las Vegas and outside. We have certainly done our part in assisting MGM Resorts in other new venues. In Las Vegas, we want to be a part of the new arena and any other new opportunities.
• Sub-Committees
  • We want a concentrated focus on either resolving or not coming to agreement with all subcommittees in the coming weeks.
  • Contract language to clarify, adjust, amend specific articles in the contract.

We reserve the right to adjust, amend, change, and modify any and all proposals until we have a final agreement.

Our Strip and Downtown contracts expired on June 1^st.

These casinos have refused to sign a standard extension:

Contract Fight Picket Line

Friday, June 14^th from 5-7pm

At the Cosmopolitan