United Voice News
In this issue:
1. Meetings for all Crown workers
2. Alcohol + Violence Online Survey
3. Westin members gear up for bargaining
5. URC helping hospitality members win
6. SA casino members stand together and win
7. Crown Casino Workers Meeting Times
Dear member,
Welcome to the first edition of our hospitality union e-news.
There are a lot of ways we can improve jobs in our industry: better pay, secure rosters and more respect.
Safety at work is another big issue: We need to need to work together to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence.
Let’s make our workplaces safer! Click here to share your ideas about how we can reduce alcohol-fuelled violence in licensed venues.
But LHMU members are showing that when we stand together we can win real change.
At Adelaide’s Sky City members stood together and won a new union agreement that delivers decent pay rises and better leave.
At major Melbourne hotels, the Langham and now the Westin, members are also standing together to win union agreements. They want fairer pay, better rosters, so they can balance work and family life, and a real career path.
In short, they want their hotels to recognise and reward their hard work and commitment.
Meanwhile at Crown, members are stepping up to become delegates to help make working there a better job. And every week more and more Crown staff are coming together in our union to have a stronger voice about their working lives.
In many other workplaces, members are also building the union so they can win a better deal too.
Why is alcohol-related violence rising in licensed venues? Click here to share your experiences!
I hope you enjoy reading our e-news and see that if we are united and determined we can make our jobs better.
Jess Walsh
Secretary,
LHMU Victoria
1. Meetings for all Crown workers
We are holding meetings for all Crown workers from each department to discuss plans to improve our jobs, starting on June 18.
Now is an important time for union members to come together and discuss the issues that matter to you.
This is your opportunity to have your say about how to make your job better.
All meetings will be held at Crown in the Union Meeting Room. The room is past wardrobe, around to the right (just by the lifts).
Click here to see meeting times for your department.
For more information please contact the LHMU Union Rights Centre on 9235 7777.
2. Alcohol + Violence Online Survey
Members across Victorian hospitality venues are sharing their ideas in the growing public debate about alcohol and violence, through a short online survey.
Why is alcohol-related violence rising in licensed venues? Click here to share your experiences – it’s quick and easy.
We also want to hear your ideas on how together we can make our industry safer for members and patrons.
Let’s make our workplaces safer! Click here to share your ideas about how we can reduce alcohol-fuelled violence in licensed venues.
The survey closes on Friday 19 June 2009.
Link: www.tinyurl.com/alcohol-violence
Photo credit: St Steve on Flickr
3. Westin members gear up for bargaining
Members at the Westin are getting together to fight for better jobs as part of a new union collective agreement.
Delegate Tom Skoroplas (pictured) said getting everyone together in the union was the key to winning a strong new agreement.
‘Getting membership up now is the most important thing to winning a strong agreement. We are getting in now and talking to everyone.’
Workers attended a meeting to decide what they want in their new union collective agreement.
Tom said the major changes members want to see are a fair pay rise, better rosters, a fairer workload and more respect.
‘We don’t deserve to come to work and be treated badly (as some people can be). We work hard and we deserve to be treated with respect,’ Tom said.
‘It makes sense to be in the union. We all deserve a fair deal and we are only going to get it if we all work together.’
4. Casino members step up
Long-time Crown members are stepping up to become union delegates.
‘I wanted to contribute to making the workplace better for myself and for everyone else,’ seven-year veteran Ben Lennon (pictured, right) said.
Clint Azarcon (pictured, left) has also worked at Crown for seven years. He stepped up to become a delegate because he loves the work and wants to help improve conditions.
Clint says better training will make members’ jobs easier.
‘When I had higher duties training, I only had a week. I had the feeling I was thrown in the deep end,’ Clint said.
Ben said it is important that everyone joins the union so Crown staff can have a real say about their jobs.
‘It’s all about strength in numbers, especially with a big organisation like Crown,’ Ben said.
‘The more people that are in the union, the more people that give us feedback, the better we can make working at Crown.’
5. URC helping hospitality members win
Members across the union, including hundreds from Crown Casino, are using our Union Rights Centre to resolve their issues and problems at work.
Like member Ernesto Pino, who retired after 23 years with serious health problems, and was owed a lot of money by his employer, ISS.
For four years Ernesto (pictured, left) was not paid the afternoon shift loading by his employer. That was worth $12,000 in total.
A loyal LHMU member since he arrived in Australia, he called our Union Rights Centre (URC).
And, thanks to the URC he got four years of back-pay.
‘My employer put everything in: long service, holiday, sick pay. No problem,’ said Ernesto.
He also got the $12,000. That made him ‘very happy’, Ernesto said.
Ernesto’s wife Rebeca (pictured, right) was also grateful for the URC’s help in getting all her entitlements.
‘Everything is paid for now; the car, everything. We only have the house to pay for now,’ she laughed.
Ernesto hopes he will be able to return to work part-time next year.
In the first three months of 2009, the URC helped 302 members who had serious workplace problems like Ernesto and Rebeca.
Each month it also provides hundreds more members with advice and information over the phone.
Got a workplace issue or question? Call the Union Rights Centre on (03) 9235 7777 or toll free on 1800 819 087.
6. SA casino members stand together and win
LHMU members at Adelaide’s Sky City casino are celebrating their first union agreement in 11 years.
South Australian members have finally hit the jackpot, winning a new union agreement locking in pay rises, extending annual leave and maternity leave.
LHMU delegate and 20-year SkyCity veteran Julian Southwell said standing together was crucial.
‘It’s all about membership and keeping the membership engaged and informed,’ Julian said.
‘The tide has turned and I think this is a very good agreement. We feel a huge amount of relief to finally see it happen.’
Inspired by their win, members in Sydney and Brisbane are also fighting for union agreements.
At Brisbane’s Treasury casino, members (pictured) voted down a sub-standard pay offer that cut back their sick leave entitlements. They are now gearing up for industrial action.
Head dealer and delegate Leah Sandercock said members are determined to win better pay and protect their current conditions.
‘During agreement negotiations we met with management several times to discuss a Log of Claims compiled from the requests of workers, hopeful they would take us seriously and propose a fair agreement,’ Ms Sandercock said.
LHMU delegate Sharon Eurlings from Sydney’s Star City said members at her casino are also ramping up their campaign for a fair deal.
‘We have meetings before and after our negotiations to make sure we are all on the same page.’
‘The members are all united behind the bargaining team so we present a united front.’
7. Crown Casino Workers Meeting Times
All meetings will be held at Crown in the Union Meeting Room. The room is past wardrobe, around to the right (just by the lifts).
Table Games
11am – Thursday 18th June
12.30pm – Thursday 18th June
7pm – Thursday 18th June
8.30pm – Thursday 18th June
11am – Saturday 20th June
12.30pm – Saturday 20th June
7pm – Saturday 20th June
8.30pm – Saturday 20th June
Food and Beverage
3pm – Friday 19th June
11pm – Thursday 18th June
3pm – Sunday 21st June
11pm – Sunday 21st June
Gaming Machines
8am – Friday 19th June
4pm – Friday 19th June
8am – Sunday 21st June
4pm– Sunday 21st June
Cage
7.15 pm - Friday 19th June
7.15am - Sunday 21st June
7.15pm – Sunday 21st June
Stores
5am - Thursday 18th June
5pm – Friday 19th June
Hotels
7.15am – Friday 19th June
4.00pm – Thursday 18th June
2.30pm – Saturday 20th June
11.15pm – Saturday 20th June
Laundry
2pm - Thursday 18th June
5pm – Thursday 18th June
Security / First Aid
7.15am – Thursday 18th June
11.15pm – Friday 19th June
7.15am – Saturday 20th June
3.30pm – Saturday 20th June
Cloak Room
5am – Thursday 18th June
9pm – Friday 19th June
2pm – Sunday 21st June
Car Parking
3pm – Thursday 18th June
10pm – Thursday 18th June
2pm – Friday 19th June
Admin / Crown Other
8am – Thursday 18th June
5pm – Friday 19th June
