Strike Caesars Windsor April 4/18

Just a heads up if anybody is planning on coming to Windsor in the next few days....the place might be closed

http://blackburnnews.com/windsor/windsor-news/2018/04/03/sides-caesars-negotiations-still-far-apart/

They may remain open.

I visited Showboat in AC during a strike about 15 years ago.

The buffet was limited and all factory food. Self serve beverage. Dishes & utensils all disposable - and you were expected to bus your own table.

The weirdest part was playing BJ and getting a beverage from a server who’s ID said he was in the Information Services dept. In other words, he was a computer person just like me. Eeewwww.....

last minute contract agreed to by the bargaining team

now the real question is will the membership vote thumbs up or DOWN!!!

If they turn down the offer it wouldn't be the first time

http://www.iheartradio.ca/am800/news/breaking-strike-averted-at-caesars-windsor-1.3731627

Offer was voted DOWN!!!

Casino is closed due to strike

this could be longer than the one in 2004 where it last 41 days I believe it was

Those Detroit Casino hope it lasts all summer

http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/caesars-windsors-employees-vote-down-tentative-contract-strike-begins

co-worker was saying offer was 75 cents yr one 50 next 50 third yr

$1150 signing bonus per a friend of his ( we shall see )

Why not just hire scabs?

They were nice enough to send me an e-mail !

Caesars Windsor is temporarily closed due to a labour disruption.

For more information, please call 1-800-991-8888 or email vipservice@caesarswindsor.com.

Once an agreement has been reached, we will be communicating our re-opening date via email and on caesarswindsor.com, facebook.com/caesarswindsor and Twitter (@caesarswindsor).

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Here is Saturdays write up in the Windsor paper about the casino workers wages ..... lets here the remarks these wages get here

http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/striking-workers-force-temporary-closure-of-caesars-windsor

very surprised the dealers turned down that increase.

Didn't seem any busier than normal here in Detroit.

Windchills over night into the single digits

no open fire barrels allowed inside the city limits

those propane space heaters are going to be in high demand

One write up I saw stated the casino has advised all room bookings up till April 12 have been advised they are cancelled

Any idea what kind of revenue they're expected to be pulling this time of year? I can't imagine it to be more than 1% of their annual per week at this time of year.

Quote: Venthus

Any idea what kind of revenue they're expected to be pulling this time of year?

In general, all of the Ontario casinos together made a profit of 1.37 billion in Canadian dollars for the year ending 03/31/2017, see page 73:

https://about.olg.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2018/02/OLG-2016-17-Annual-Report-ENG.pdf

I didn't see it broken down by casino site.

Quote: coilman

Here is Saturdays write up in the Windsor paper about the casino workers wages ..... lets here the remarks these wages get here

http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/striking-workers-force-temporary-closure-of-caesars-windsor

That's a really interesting pay chart at the end of this article. However, I think since the readers here are majority US-based, it's important to translate the figures to USD for our comparison. Currently, $1cn =.78USD, and it's been in that range for a couple if years. So, roughly 80% value in USD.

I don't know comparable US salaries for casinos specifically. But $23.xx/hr (US) for AC and electricians is right about average for CONUS. Range I saw was 21.xx to 24.xx on average, depending on the survey source.

Other salaries (dealers, housekeepers, bartenders) were better than I expected to see, even when translated.

I'm sure I don't know what the strikers' issues are, or what the general area pays. I do know their petrol, liquor, and cigarette prices are significantly higher than the US (in general ), so their money probably doesn't go as far.

Does anybody know whether CET owns this property, or are they hired as a third party to brand and run it? An example of the latter is Harrahs Cherokee. I would have to think it's more expensive to hire them in.

Caesars just manages the joint. It's is owned by the government of the province of Ontario (through the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation).

We were there 2 summers ago I believe. There were signs up that they may strike. Has this been in dispute that long? Or is this a new dispute?

I liked the temporary joints there better. The old art gallery and then the Northern Belle boat.

I liked the temporary joints there better. The old art gallery and then the Northern Belle boat.

I still have these.

BBB...............one of the big things is they keep outsourcing jobs.

Just closed up Artist Cafe which was run by casino employees and the trend is to lease out the space to some other company to open up a food service ... one staffed by outside workers off the casino payroll

now inside the casino is a Tim Hortons outstide workers a Johnnie Rockets burger place outside workers new place just recently opened upstairs near the hotel check in called Spago's which from what i hear has very good food Italian place...they have a very successful place about a mile from my house and now in casino too

the buffet downstairs quality has gone down hill yr after yr to the point now you can go eat in there almost anytime without waiting in any sort of line up..... almost like they wanted to run it into the ground so they could close it and get rid off all those cooks wait staff bartenders dish washers and on and on ... only time i would go to eat there is if its free and by free I mean a comp... if a friend asked me to go eat ON THEM and they were paying I would suggest somewhere else where the food would be better and cost a whole lot less...its really that limited the choices now and all the food is basically ordered ready to heat up stuff. If this were to close it would easily be 100-200 jobs gone



security basically scans the id into the system of anybody they check at the door.... anybody under 25 is asked for ID ..... u allow somebody in under age you are going to either get fired or a suspension ...cameras are used to track the under age person back to the entrance they got into the casino at to see who to suspend or fire

a few weeks ago went to pick up my mother who was there playing with a friend that was in town...as I was walking out past the security check point I noticed a group of guys standing there at the railing watching all the young people coming in .... just past the security check point the off duty windsor police officer they have working each weekend night was leaning on another rail i asked him if the alcohol inspectors had any luck tonight .... he laughed and asked how I knew they were the alcohol inspectors ? said what else could they be, those kids dads? they were watching to make sure the security guys not only checked all ids but didnt allow any that appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs in. if they did they would be suspended or fired by the casino after the casino was ticketed for the violation.... all the security guys know all these alcohol inspectors as they are in there all the time and there are only a handful of them in the city

those wages in the charts notice the ones in the $11 range....as of Jan 1 2018 the minimum wage in Ontario is $14 so a bunch of them got HUGE raises of over $2 a hr because of that. Thats part of the problem too since you can go anywhere now and earn $14 ..... so people that have been there for 20 yrs making $15-16 a hr is a joke
i think people felt these jobs were suppose to be middle class type jobs and they have been falling behind each year with small raises while everything has been going up


profits wise the past year has been a very good year at the casino....without knowing the profit I can say that because the city of windsor just got their cheque from the Casino for $10 MILLION for hosting the casino....I believe thats a record amount let me find the write up

http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/city-receives-olg-cheque-for-over-10-million-as-host-community


when they opened the casino it was sold to the people as being great paying secure jobs yada yada... well the numbers have dropped year after year to the 2300 Union workers plus all the salary folks thinking it used to be over 4000

and now so many of those jobs are part timers or casual workers

just to give you a idea $20 a hr job is what $42,000 a yr lets say

here is whats taken off


Total income$ 42,000
Federal tax$ 3,959
Provincial tax$ 1,917
CPP/EI premiums $ 2,603.....this is canadian pension plan and employment insurance deductions
Total tax$ 8,479
After-tax income$ 33,521
Average tax rate20.19 %
Marginal tax rate20.05 %

union dues likely are another $400-600 more in deductions

now expenses
gas is running around $1.20 a Litre....there are 3.8 L to a US gallon thats $4.56 canadian for a US gallon or $3.45 or so US $ per US Gallon

my plates are due to expire the sticker for 12 months is $120 six or seven yrs ago is was $65 or so
car insurance in Ontario is very high too

food costs lets just say I go shopping just outside detroit every other week basically it costs me $10 Can in tolls to travel back and forth via the tunnel

last monday i went over to the Walmart 15 minutes away from downtown Detroit and bought
10 gallons of milk.....$11.70
36 eggs........$1.32
10 cans of corn $4.40
8 loaves of bread $7.36
2 lbs of bologna for $4 total cost was $29 US just under thats $39 Canadian or so

the milk in Windsor would have cost $ 44 Can
eggs would have been $3
corn..............$10
bread .............$16
bologna would be $12
----------------------------------

oh this was mine ,my brother, my sister and my aunts supplies ... guess who gets to pay my tolls

gas worked out to about 85 cents a Litre Can compared to the $1.25 L it was in windsor car took 58 L to fill so just there i saved about $22 on the fill up

i usually shop at MEIJERS and i am a member the store loyal customer plan called Mperks
my mperks last week had $4 free meat $4 free frozen food $2 free produce and $3 off my total bill ...there is the first $13 of my purchases there free..... my bill here for food was cheap around $50 after all the rebates

needed oil and filter for oil change on car... sale on oil $19.99 including filter but if you spent $35 another Mperks kicks in for $5 off so I got the extra quart of oil my car needs plus a filter for my trucks oil change for $30

my uncle has me do his on his chrysler 200 ....cost from states for oil and filter is about $40 Canadian for the synthetic oil his car needs 10 minutes to change it..... shows me dealer cost for his last change $143 !!! this is no joke

chicken is super cheap in states compared to windsor and sales on spare ribs and pork loins are always super good deals too .... many things are more expensive sometimes even before you factor in the exchange rates

the meijers and walmart are about 5 minutes apart so its worth hitting both places for the deals



the customs officers just got a nice contract they are now being treated as equals to the Federal Police RCMP and they make $83000 a yr to give you a idea of wages ...local police are making $100,000 as first class constable with 5 yrs in same as firemen

teachers upwards of $100,000 my sister just retired after 30 yrs teaching with a masters degree she made that kind of money while principals as high as $135,000

i have heard a doctor working the emergency room at hospitals make $125 a hr ..... $1000 for a 8 hr shift

oh i declare everything i buy if they pull me in to pay taxes and duty no problem it only happens once or twice a year ..you bring back $100-150 they ask if any is alcohol or tobacco if not have a nice day

Word I am hearing is the casino in Niagara Falls is about to find new people running ( or is that ruining) it. and CET is one of the two names in the running

Quote: coilman

the meijers and walmart are about 5 minutes apart so its worth hitting both places for the deals

Guessing the ones on Eureka Rd in Southgate.

Coilman ,10 gallons of milk for 11.70
so 1.17 per gallon I've never seen it that cheap.
Usually it's 3.69 where I live or on sale for 2.79

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

Guessing the ones on Eureka Rd in Southgate.

the Walmart on Toledo Dix has these great prices all the time but its kind of a pain to get too with the Rouge River bridge out going south .

Madison Heights 13 mile over to 12 mile and Van Dyke Walmart

On the weekend the Meijers is full of Ontario plated cars

Quote: coilman

the Walmart on Toledo Dix has these great prices all the time but its kind of a pain to get too with the Rouge River bridge out going south .

Madison Heights 13 mile over to 12 mile and Van Dyke Walmart

On the weekend the Meijers is full of Ontario plated cars

Yeah 75 over the River is a mess heading south. Supposed to be done later this year. Makes going to Toledo a pain. 75 in Toledo is a mess as well, but at least both sides are open.

Quote: Hunterhill

Coilman ,10 gallons of milk for 11.70
so 1.17 per gallon I've never seen it that cheap.
Usually it's 3.69 where I live or on sale for 2.79

Its been $1.17 a gallon for months around here....just not at every store

and eggs have been crazy cheap too 36 for $1.32 thats what 4 cents each give or take for large ones
not sure if this will work
Warren Walmart Supercenter#4424

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-2-Milk-Gal/10450115
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Large-Grade-A-Eggs-36-ct/142616435

within say 15 minute drive I can hit 4 different Walmarts and the price difference on those eggs goes from $1,32 to I believe it was $5.40 for the same package... so it depends on which store is fighting the others for customers


back to the topic

Local 444 Unifor
April 6 at 7:59pm ·
Attention Caesars Casino Members.
The officers of Local 444 have reached out to Caesars management and at this time there is no intent from Caesars to return to the bargaining table. We have been working on putting together the issues raised at the ratification meetings and will soon be pushing the Managment of Caesars to listen to these demands and return to the bargaining table.
In solidarity,
Officers of Local 444.

Donna Marie West · University of Windsor
So let me get this straight. In 2001 the minimum wage was $6.85/hr. Over the last 17 years it has gone up $7.15 and over the same amount of time Casino workers have seen an increase of $4.60/hr. With the offered $1.75/hr they will once again be a dollar or two over minimum wage...well until it goies up another dollar in January 2019 putting most back to minimum wage. How does that constitute a wage increase? Considering where their wages were even a decade ago, they have now decreased in wages while the price of bread has tripled. They are paying once a month for hydro what used to be every other month. Forget any thought of ever owning a home on those wages. Pretty sad for the biggest money maker in the city of Windsor. Their wages were posted by the Star, why not post the CEO's wages along with the Executive Managements? How much has their salaries increased since 2001? What sort of cars are they driving? Time to share the wealth....with the people who have really worked their backs off to make them wealthy. The ones who have brought the customers in and kept them there! That was them, not the upper management. With what was lost with the sold out show and the closure the first evening of the strike would have been enough to bring happiness and delight to all the 2300 unionized workers. Afterall, didn't the Casino once employ well over double that? How many of those workers let go and replaced with technology did the Casino not have to pay any wage gains to after their previous negotiated contracts? As for people who say 'Quit' ... 'find a job somewhere else'....well why should they? They accepted the promise of long term employment and potential future gain and many of them stuck it out for the long haul under that presumption. They sacrificed singificant wage increases since 2001 so the Casino could flourish. They have flourished and it's now time to recognize their workers.

http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/try-the-hotel-down-the-road-patrons-upset-at-being-displaced-due-to-casino-strike

Dealers, housekeepers make about $20 hour, steel mill jobs start out at that....

This whole situation I believe is directly related to the rapid recent increase in the Minimum Wage. If you have been making $5 more than the MW, and now all of a sudden are just making $1 more, you feel like you are being underpaid. You want a raise, even though you are generating no more revenue for your employer than you were before the MW was raised. So what is the casino to do to find that extra money to pay you? Worse rules for the gamblers? Fewer comps? Higher buffet prices? Higher parking charges? These don't work since there is competition just a few miles away.

There will be those who say 'pay the managers less', or 'make less profits for the greedy owners', but if they do that, will the business still exist? Presumably management is paid on a market value.

The Windsor casino is closed
Shutdown procedures began around 11 p.m. Thursday April 5, 2018

Full story

IMPORTANT MESSAGE:
Caesars Windsor is TEMPORARILY CLOSED as a result of a labour disruption.

We are making the very difficult decision to postpone Colosseum shows, Total Rewards promotions, conventions, events and meetings for the remainder of April as well as cancelling all hotel reservations booked in the month of April 2018.

Colosseum Shows: April shows to be rescheduled include Buddy Guy (April 13), David Foster (April 15) and Terry Fator (April 21). Ticketholders can hold onto their tickets to be honoured on the new show dates, yet to be determined. Refunds for postponed shows will be handled through the method of purchase, however Box Office refunds will be processed once the labour disruption is resolved and Caesars Windsor reopens. All future Colosseum shows will remain scheduled on their original date until further notice.

Hotel Reservations: Hotel reservations booked between now and April 30 have been cancelled. Affected guests will be contacted via email or phone call as soon as possible and the reservation will be automatically cancelled. For more information, please call 1-800-991-8888 or email vipservices@caesarswindsor.com.

Future hotel reservations beyond May 1 will remain booked until further notice.

Events and Meetings: Caesars Windsor Hotel Sales Managers are proactively reaching out to event and meeting planners who have booked their event(s) at our property in April 2018 to assist in reviewing their options to postpone or relocate their event.

Total Rewards Property Promotions: Total Rewards April promotions have been postponed and will be rescheduled with future dates yet to be determined. Total Rewards members will be contacted via email, mail and the Play By TR app of new dates when available.

Once an agreement has been reached, we will be communicating our re-opening date on caesarswindsor.com, facebook.com/caesarswindsor and Twitter (@caesarswindsor)

We apologize for any inconvenience.

CAESARS WINDSOR HOTEL & CASINO

Quote: Hunterhill

Coilman ,10 gallons of milk for 11.70
so 1.17 per gallon I've never seen it that cheap.
Usually it's 3.69 where I live or on sale for 2.79

For a while here in Michigan last fall, a gallon of milk was down to 98 cents.

Quote: ams288

For a while here in Michigan last fall, a gallon of milk was down to 98 cents.

I think you can get top dollar selling clean water in Flint. 😅

Quote: SOOPOO

This whole situation I believe is directly related to the rapid recent increase in the Minimum Wage. If you have been making $5 more than the MW, and now all of a sudden are just making $1 more, you feel like you are being underpaid

The feeling is justified and accurate. The dealers have been standing there doing the same thing, maybe a few rule changes or procedure changes but their salary has been eroded and the causation is not relevant at all.

Managerial performance has NOT been good because if it were good there would be no discontent much less sufficient discontent to strike during a Canadian winter. If nothing else managers should have been more frank with the employees and demonstrated a greater honesty and forthrightness by at least broaching the situation.

Not much going on over there.

Looks the the walleye are running... at least something is running on this side


Caesars surely is doing what the people that pay them to run the place are telling them to do.

Unifor needs to OPEN THE VAULT and start paying the workers $500 a week strike pay to send a message to the Ontario joke of a government that they are in for the long haul.


http://torontosun.com/2017/08/26/its-time-for-a-tax-revolt-in-canada/wcm/7fe33ef2-bdd5-4ba9-82e9-5a11b3175c66

There were about 15 boats out fishing.

Well its great news for the folks working in the casinos in Detroit

http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/caesars-windsor-cancels-more-bookings-postpones-more-shows-as-strike-continues

Need to cross over there next few days pick up my online orders that are in at my mailbox.... and do a grocery run which will be to fill my buddy thats on strike fridge for him.

Quote: coilman

Well its great news for the folks working in the casinos in Detroit

http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/caesars-windsor-cancels-more-bookings-postpones-more-shows-as-strike-continues

Need to cross over there next few days pick up my online orders that are in at my mailbox.... and do a grocery run which will be to fill my buddy thats on strike fridge for him.

The Detroit casinos are still ghost towns except weekends which is normal. The strike hasn't improved turnout at the 3 here.

Canceling things so far in advance is not the hallmark of a company that is bargaining in good faith.

Quote: Blonde4ever

Canceling things so far in advance is not the hallmark of a company that is bargaining in good faith.

What if the casino management really means that if they give more than they have already offered then the business will not be profitable enough? If they say .... "This is our offer.....".... Is that not bargaining in good faith? The casino HAS offered raises, so to me they have 'negotiated in good faith'. Does the union only say it is in good faith when the casino agrees to their demands?

There is a touch of Devil's Advocate in my argument, but you get the point.....

http://blackburnnews.com/windsor/windsor-news/2018/05/07/caesars-windsor-extends-shutdown-end-may/

Maybe open for the July 4th weekend maybe not

Wow.

What exactly are they asking for if they turned all of that down?

Quote: SM777

Wow.

What exactly are they asking for if they turned all of that down?

The minimum wage apparently has gone up substantially since the last agreement. I think the difference between the minimum wage and the new wages offered is less than it was under the old contract. When the minimum wage goes up all those near it feel underpaid. Another consequence of raising the minimum wage.

Also remember the numbers are in Canadian dollars so much less than if in Anerican dollars.

were about four hours from Windsor with out a union and we got a similar package and everybody is good with it.

Quote: SOOPOO

The minimum wage apparently has gone up substantially since the last agreement. I think the difference between the minimum wage and the new wages offered is less than it was under the old contract. When the minimum wage goes up all those near it feel underpaid. Another consequence of raising the minimum wage.

Also remember the numbers are in Canadian dollars so much less than if in Anerican dollars.

11.60 to 14 on 1/1/18. A 20% increase in one year, am I reading this right?

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/the-ripple-effect-of-ontarios-minimum-wage-increase/article38017258/

Yes. A 20% increase in one year.

Yes and $15 on 1 Jan 19.
Remember everyone deserves a LIVING. I mean a living ,not slave wages. A society is not good for anybody if someone is living in desperate state.

Quote: ahiromu

11.60 to 14 on 1/1/18. A 20% increase in one year, am I reading this right?

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/the-ripple-effect-of-ontarios-minimum-wage-increase/article38017258/

Yes. A 20% increase in one year.

and on Jan 1 2019 it goes up another $1 to $15 Can ( about $11.50 US)


I made $16 a hr in 1986 at the distillery located down the street from the casino which was one of the top places in the city to work outside the auto industry

32 years later the Casino thinks $19 is great pay

price of gas for your car today in Windsor is $1.22 a litre 3.78L to a US gallon $4.61 CAN for a US gallon or about $3.55 US a gallon
eggs $2 a doz
milk $4.50 a gallon
bread $2 a loaf

electricity in Ontario is the highest in Canada!!! we pay 3 times as much for the same amount used as the provinces on either side of us

want to buy a case of beer for the weekend $44 for 24 11.5 oz bottles

and on and on...... its expensive to live here

I never criticize what people are willing to strike for. Never cross a picket line. Just the way I was raised, I guess

Quote: speedycrap

Yes and $15 on 1 Jan 19.
Remember everyone deserves a LIVING. I mean a living ,not slave wages. A society is not good for anybody if someone is living in desperate state.

You could give them $100 an hour. The problem is, the cost of everything goes up by the same rate and you're right back where you were....in poverty.

Quote: coilman

and on Jan 1 2019 it goes up another $1 to $15 Can ( about $11.50 US)


I made $16 a hr in 1986 at the distillery located down the street from the casino which was one of the top places in the city to work outside the auto industry

32 years later the Casino thinks $19 is great pay

price of gas for your car today in Windsor is $1.22 a litre 3.78L to a US gallon $4.61 CAN for a US gallon or about $3.55 US a gallon
eggs $2 a doz
milk $4.50 a gallon
bread $2 a loaf

electricity in Ontario is the highest in Canada!!! we pay 3 times as much for the same amount used as the provinces on either side of us

want to buy a case of beer for the weekend $44 for 24 11.5 oz bottles
P
and on and on...... its expensive to live here

How much is the dealers toke rate?