Alden Bates' Weblog
Feigning normality since 1973
Mad at Foxwoods
Filed in: Misc.
Foxwoods Resort Casino is, according to its Wikipedia entry, the largest casino in the world and is extremely profitable for its owners, bringing in millions of dollars a day.
So why are their workers angry at them? Why are they cutting their worker's benefits and expecting them to work long hours and take few holidays? At madatfoxwoods.com the desperate employees are organising to stage a walkoutcallout. The guest book is full of outraged entries:
"anyone heard that new dealers have to sign paper saying they get no benefits (ever) & never fultime status- boy, thats fair. Wanna work here?"
"I am angry!!! I have been at foxwoods since I was a teenager and I am now in my 30s I have seen the way that things have gone from bad to worse! We are the lowest paid in the gaming industry. imagine living in an area that pays 25-35% more than what we ge-"
"My husband works as a valet attendant and the things I see and hear are awful. Tips being taken away for 90days right before christmas might I add. So many peak days, when he was sick he had to call out and lost tickets which is 40% of his pay for 90 da-"
Good luck to all of Foxwood's employees on their callout. I hope your employers sit up, take notice, and start treating you better.
Posted December 23, 2006 8:45 AM
Comments
The Tribe Owns.. Foxwoods... They are THE BOSS... If they want they CAN TELL J. O'Brien to settle this now .. he should do it ... Who is the Boss here ... Who works for Who...... This use to be a career now it is barely a job...Be Proud and Lead Tribal Nation .. help us..
Posted by: Long Timer | December 31, 2006 3:51 PM
Preston Res.
Go for it!!!!!!! dont settle for less than you brlieve in.WE ARE AMERICANS!!WE LIVE IN AMERICA AND WE NEED TO BE TREATED AS SUCH!!!!!!!
Good Luck
Gary
Owner Opp.
Gary's Small Engine
Repair
Posted by: gary cardot | January 1, 2007 2:54 PM
I was at Foxwoods, Friday evening, stayed at the Great Cedar Hotel, had a great dinner at the Steak House (although it was hugely expensive!) but the staff was awesome and very attentive. I worked in a business for 23 years and dealt with really GREAT management teams and really bad management teams. I hope you ALL walked out on Sunday and Monday. I live in Mass. so I haven't heard anything as yet, but I commend all of you for taking a stand. I, personally, will not go back to Foxwoods until some major changes have been made towards the employees of Foxwoods. I hope Management and the Tribe has opened their eyes to see that their dreams are going to go crashing down without the dedicated employees that you have. With all the MONEY you all make, it is disgracefull that you are not generous to your employees as well. Nothing in this world as ugly as greed. And that is all I see at Foxwoods right now. I wish all of you, all employees the best of luck. Stand tall.
Posted by: Nancy | January 2, 2007 1:02 AM
My husband and I own a small business that he, at 80 years old, is still physically active in. We have no idea of what it would be like to have to deal with the amount of employees Foxwoods does, but we are very aware of how expensive it is to live in Connecticut, and it does not seem to be getting any better. How much is enough? We had the choice of taking whatever profit we made at the end of the year, (which would be more if people would only pay their bills) and stuff it into our own pockets but instead we instituted a Pension Plan which allows us to share with our employees to whom we are very grateful and without whom we would not be here. Being treated with respect often means more than what is in one's paycheck but you cannot pay your utilities or gasoline or heating costs with respect. Don't know all the circumstances, but it sounds to me that Foxwood's employees need a raise in both areas. Just a thought. Good luck Foxwoods' employees
Posted by: ADRIAN | January 16, 2007 5:18 AM
In answer to what appears to be a paid advertisement by Foxwoods; (I guess these lies couldn't be legally reported as an actual story)
Raises and improved benefits for Foxwoods workers
February 21, 2007 http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg? articleid=184203
Scams, Cons and Lies! Foxwoods management is once again intentionally lying to the public, expecting NO real investigative reporter to actually question their false claims. Your media outlet should be compelled to print a retraction of their deceitful claims. Last year, Foxwoods hired a research firm to evaluate our wages and benefits. Their finding, was that Foxwoods employees were indeed BELOW industry standards!
The across the board raises they have announced, are nothing more than a reshuffling of the employees already existing and long standing "annual increase/review." They announced a change to the program, that abolishes all employees anniversary reviews, and replaces them with a company wide review effective March 2007. This is nothing more than switch and bait, tied up with a very transparent bow. Thousands of employees will receive NO additional wage increases from this restructuring. A percentage of employees, who meet all criteria MIGHT receive a ONE-TIME increase of up to an additional 10 cents per hour. A full-time Floor Person, with 15 years experience could possibly receive a ONE-TIME maximum increase of up to ONE DOLLAR per DAY! I repeat, $1/day, or 12 cents per hour maximum increase.
The statement regarding the addition of an employer paid retirement benefit, is even more heinous. Under Foxwoods proposed benefit enhancement, they will be taking the first $500 out of our own well established annual performance bonus, and automatically putting it into our 401K. They will take our own money and give it back to us in the form of a 401K investment that we can't touch until 59 1/2. That is not what I would ever consider a COMPANY PAID RETIREMENT BENEFIT, by any stretch of the imagination. This new proposal only benefits Foxwoods, by reducing their FICA match for each and every pretax dollar of ours that they are allowed to automatically take and deposit in 401Ks.
This news comes after many reductions to our employee benefits program over the past several years. Go to madatfoxwoods.com and read the guestbook posts, if you want to hear what employees really think! Then, go to www.tribalnation.com to learn about the tribe.
If you want a real shock, ask Foxwoods management about the new criteria for determining whether we even get an "annual performance bonus" again. Rather than making this a simple profit sharing program, and rewarding their employees with just 2% of the tax free profits we employees actually generated at approximately 1.6 BILLION DOLLARS last year, they have included a vague clause stating that if we do not meet the projected profits for a quarter, we wouldn't EARN our bonus. They could predict or project any unattainable profit figure per quarter and eliminate our bonus altogether.
A recent ruling supported the NLRB, regarding enforcing Labor Laws for employees of Native American businesses. We need Connecticut to enforce the State Laws as well. Thousands of employees at Foxwoods are paid below Connecticut Minimum Wage. Because of the recent ruling, every Foxwoods employee who has every been paid below minimum wage, should be reimbursed retroactive for every cent they were illegally underpaid. All of this profit hoarding, is taking place while the Mashantucket tribe, STILL receives federal funding. I am informed by a tribal employee, that just last year the 600+ tribal members received in excess of $1,000,000(ONE MILLION+ DOLLARS) in the form of this Tribal Welfare. How does a tribe generating this much tax free income, qualify for any sort of Federal funds? Why are your hard earned tax dollars being paid to these tax exempt millionaires?
You have either been intentionally misled by Foxwoods management, or blatantly lied to.
My name will have to be withheld, or I would certainly be terminated for contacting you.
Posted by: John Q. Public | February 28, 2007 4:22 PM
Yep, that looks pretty much like a press release dressed up as a news report.
Posted by: Alden Bates | February 28, 2007 5:38 PM
If you must gamble go to Mohegan Sun they have better service and beat Foxwoods take with less games every month. Go to Rhode Island, New York or New Jersey. Anywhere but Foxwoods, this will drive the point home.
Posted by: Anonymous | June 5, 2007 2:23 AM
What ever happened to the foreign employee at Foxwoods that had TB? How come we don't hear about that?
Posted by: Anonymous | June 5, 2007 2:26 AM
Congrats to the Foxwoods workers on getting unionized. Hopefully things will improve from here on in. :)
Posted by: Alden Bates | November 26, 2007 4:33 PM
You guys help prey on people's weaknesses for a living and you are complaining that the guys you for work for prey on you. Get real. How can you expect anything else from a gambling place where the house always takes advantage. Guess you just want them to take advantages of the customer suckers and not the employee suckers.
Posted by: Get Real | July 11, 2008 8:17 AM
Stayed at foxwoods, enjoyed my stay. But really fealt bad for the housekeepers they work very hard!But there was no envelopes, or no poster anywhere for them to be noticed, they deserve tips like everybody else, PLEASE FOXWOODS THINK OF YOUR HOUSEKEEPERS MORE, BECAUSE WITH OUT THEM YOU WILL BE CLEANING THE ROOMS ON YOUR OWN, HOUSEKEEPERS DESERVE TO BE RECONIZED PUT SOME ENVELOPES, OR POSTERS! I FEEL THATS NOT HARD TO ASK! THANK YOU
Posted by: karen | February 19, 2010 10:20 AM
dec 30 2006 am foxwood worker.12 yrs
this is a callout not a walkout!i am a participaint in this action.25 cent raise every year for 12 yrs started at $3.75 hr.looking for $2.00 across the board for all including lower management and middle.and a union!!!!my name is well call me census for now.hope to hear from you usa new england rhode island .
Posted by: rockycensus | December 30, 2006 7:11 AM