Saturday, September 25, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Union votes to authorize strike

Mandalay Resort Group's two-tier wage-and-benefits structure offer prompts decision

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 501 voted 155-to-67 to authorize a strike against Mandalay Resort Group, a union official said Friday.

Union members voted to strike Thursday after Mandalay proposed a two-tier wage and benefits structure, with the first tier covering current employees and the second tier covering new hires, Local 501 business representative George Scott said.

Mandalay is also asking for what amounts to a $3 an hour wage rollback for new workers, which the union says would be a first on the Strip. Current workers on the average make $21 a hour, he said.

Union representatives last met with Mandalay officials Sept. 15 and are scheduled to meet again Oct. 5, Scott said.

The union's contracts with Strip operators expired March 31. Since then, the union agreed to extend the contract while negotiations are under way for 320 workers at Circus Circus, Excalibur and Luxor. Mandalay Bay has never been organized by the union, he said.

Other casinos, which have 780 Local 501 workers, completed contract negotiations in the spring, agreeing to a five-year contract and about a $4.30 a hour increase in wages and benefits, Scott said. But none of those agreements call for either a rollback or a two-tier pay scale.

The other properties covered by the contract include Bally's, Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Harrah's Las Vegas, the Jockey Club, Las Vegas Hilton, the Riviera, the Sahara and Tropicana, he said.

Scott said the union also has not reached agreement with the New Frontier because of its financial difficulties.