In this issue:

1. Time we were dealt a fair deal

2. Crown's cut to HDs: what it means to me

3. No. 1 in profit, so why not on pay?

4. So where is the money going?

Time we were dealt a fair deal

David Courtney
Chief Executive Officer
Crown Melbourne
8 Whiteman Street
Southbank VIC 3006


Dear David Courtney,

We the Crown staff have been working hard for you and the company each and every year since Crown opened. For some of us that means more than 15 years of dedication, a lot of hard work and loyalty to this company.

But in the EA negotiations that are going on at the moment we are being told we are worth less to this company than ever before. Peter Coyne is saying that we are only worth a 3% pay rise, whilst trying to cut a range of our existing entitlements, including the rates for staff acting in higher duties.

David to give you an idea of who we are:

• We are the ones who get up early to be at Crown for the morning shift at 4am so that people can gamble 24 hours a day.
  
  
• We are the ones who put our body on the line each and every shift in security to make sure you, our fellow staff members and our patrons are safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
  
  
• We are the ones who serve millions of meals each and every year at Crown’s food and beverage outlets, including you and your management team in IDs every day.
  
  
• We are the ones pushing ourselves to make the beds so that thousands of guests can stay in your hotel rooms each day.
  
  
• We are the thousands of Crown workers you walk past every day, ensuring the best hospitality service to all of our valued guests. David we are the dealers. We are the gaming machine attendants, the BPAs, the cage and count. We are the security officers. We are the food and beverage attendants. We the are stewards, cooks and chefs. We are the hotel workers, but most of all we are Crown workers.

Our representatives in the EA negotiations are bargaining in good faith. We’re compromising, we’re working on solutions, we’re trying to find a balance between the interests of Crown staff and your need to continue to improve Crown’s bottom line.

But in response, Peter is giving us nothing. It took us two months to even extract an initial pay offer from him and now we find it’s the worst in the country.

It’s time that we the Crown workers were dealt a fair deal. We’re asking you David to instruct Peter Coyne to give us a fair deal and improve your wages offer today, in recognition of the people that make your casino what it is.


Yours sincerely,


Crown EA employees

Crown's cut to HDs: what it means to me

Alongside their low pay offer, Crown have also said they want to replace HD rates with an across the board loading of 10% on your normal rate.

In table games at present, if you work HDs you get paid $25.00 per shift.

Crown’s cut to HD rates would mean you would only get 10% extra for working HDs.

For a three game dealer, that’s more than $3.50 less than you get right now.

In areas where you get paid more than $25.00 per shift for working HDs, you’ll be even worse off.

Union members are saying “no way” to Crown’s HD wage cut.

No. 1 in profit, so why not on pay?

When Crown finally delivered their low wages offer of 3% they were quick to admit that they will have to do better, and that they might increase the offer.

If you were sitting around wondering whether to help union members tell Crown we need a fair deal, now is the time.

If you work at Crown, your support for this campaign might be the difference between Crown improving its wages offer, or sticking with a low 3%.

It is time to stand up! Crown says it is Australia’s “number one” casino. But in terms of wage increases, we’re behind the pack.

Get involved today with our union campaign for a fair deal at Crown.

If you’re not a Casino Union member, now is the time to join.

If you are, now is the time to get others on board.

We’ve made Crown make a pay offer, now we need to make them get serious.

“We will continue to out perform our competitors.  Our edge has always been around service and with your dedication, support and skill we will continue to hold our position as Australia’s number one casino property.” Crown Melbourne CEO David Courtney, who earns over $2.425 million per year (pictured)

So where is the money going?

You work hard every day to make Crown the most profitable casino in Australia, yet their wage offer to you is just 3% a year.

Is that fair? Does that recognise you as the best hospitality workers in Australia?

While you are offered 3% a year, their CEOs' take home over 5.5 million dollars a year. And they say they can’t afford to pay you more.