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Stateline casinos firing employees


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By Kathryn Reed

Several Lake Tahoe casino workers are out of work and others are losing hours.

Less than a week after Caesars Entertainment – parent company of Harrah’s Lake Tahoe and Harveys – announced it would be trimming its workforce by 1 percent, the ax came down. Some of the jobs were eliminated last week, some this week.

John Packer, spokesman for the local properties, did not respond to an email.

It is not known how many were let go or from which departments. One source told Lake Tahoe News 10 people were laid off in facilities engineering from Harrah’s. No one in table games lost their jobs, but other departments were affected.

“We had to sign documents,” a now former employee told Lake Tahoe News. He would not discuss specifics of the separation.

There are also reports of layoffs in senior management in Las Vegas.

At MontBleu in Stateline hours are being cut.

“(They are) actively trying to cut down our hours in an attempt to perhaps increase the number of part-time employees,” an employee of 15-plus years told Lake Tahoe News. “They have already changed the guidelines for full-timers from 30 hours per week minimum assessed by quarters to assessed yearly. (This) means if you do not actively self-monitor these numbers and how they are assessed, you might have only one quarter or three months to bring your numbers up. I understand these might be hard economic times for the casinos, but I wish they would be more forthright and less callous with their own employees.”

Steve Ditchkus, general manager of MontBleu, did not return a phone call.

At the start of this year MontBleu eliminated health insurance for employees; instead opting to pay the $2,000 penalty per employee as mandated by the federal government under the Affordable Care Act.

Employees don’t know what will happen for 2015.

“I couldn’t make a statement,” a woman in human resources told Lake Tahoe News last week. “We haven’t started open enrollments. I’m not saying yes or no (to whether we’ll offer health benefits).”

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Comments (25)
  1. Kits Carson says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    I have no sympathy for casinos. So they only made $500mil instead of $800mil. Please spare me. BUT, more importantly they are screwing the employees…who by the way are the real bread and butter for them. I never have cottoned to corporate BS.

  2. KATHY says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    A lot of them went over to the new HARD ROCK,THEY ARE HIRING ,NO worries.

  3. 52lexington says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    i wonder how many of the “can’t find work, car broke down, etc” scammers around town have applied at hard rock. maybe it could be their new ‘warming shelter’, ‘cept they don’t want the actual schedule involved…

  4. rebel with a cause says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    Good point Kathy! So according to your logic, if I worked for one of the casinos for many years and lose my job today, I shouldn’t worry about paying rent, or feeding my family because I will be starting a new job with zero seniority, that may start in a couple of months. No worries, yeah right!

  5. Kits Carson says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    52: I bet you are right on the money. I bet NONE of the Trolls have applied. Which only proves the point about them.

  6. rainparader says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    @52…No kidding! I saw one of “them” hand “their” money over to a man. Heck, if they manage to get $10/hr, they’ve “earned” more than a lot of folks in this town. STAY IN SCHOOL! lol

  7. sam says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    They only think about them self and want quality Harrahs and Harveys Housekeeping give their employees 27 rooms to clean in an 8 hour shift thats not right and they want quality come on.

  8. KATHY says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    Rebel with cause ,Why do you worry about a couple of Years friend ? It is not here, Does it matter ? ,that now is what counts? You may be here today,but tomorrow you may not,Live today and enjoy what there is ,I am not here to argue with anyone,I already know this sight,lol

  9. Beau says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    Doesn’t make sense to be laying people off when the Holiday’s and Ski Season is upon us. I’m sure that Montbleu, Harvey’s and Harrah’s will be loosing dealers as Hard Rock is only hiring experienced dealers.

  10. Parker says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    While it’s certainly not good to be let go after years of dedicated service, which was the case with the 10 engineers, it’s still good to know there’s a new employment option with the Hard Rock.

    And it’s amazing how just a few weeks ago, Harrah’s/Harveys was having meetings with staff, urging them not to abandon ship and go work at the Hard Rock. I guess now that the ship is sinking so badly, they’ve kicked some overboard.

    And as I inferred on an earlier post, the engineers are some of their best & dedicated people. In the short term, as they don’t directly produce revenue, it’s the bean counter type of layoff. But as their facilities continue to deteriorate, the loss will be reflected in their product.

    Meanwhile, Harrah’s/Harveys has more casino hosts, (many of whom may not have much experience, but the male bosses shall we say, like to look at) than they had 10yrs. ago. A time of course when they were actually doing more business.

    They should do our town a favor, and sell Harveys. It would be much better if our town had as many gaming and employment options as it did pre-2000.

  11. reloman says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    Kits I would love to know where you are getting a 800 million dollar profit much less a 500 million profit, it certianly isnt Harrahs which is going in to bk in JanuIary(i would put a bet down on that) Mont Bleus owners also aren’t making any money. Now any of the casinos that have operations in China are making that kind of money, like The Sands

  12. Kits Carson says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    I was merely throwing out an example. Not intended to be accurate this time.

  13. sunriser2 says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    But if we close the road and have a chili cook off all the buffalo will return.

  14. Hmmm... says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    Did they include a card that said “Merry Christmas, schmoks”?

  15. tahoeadvocate says - Posted: November 21, 2014

    Following the law, the MontBleu is no longer providing employee health care. They are paying the $2000 fine per employee and saving money. At the same time they are counting on the taxpayer subsidizing employee healthcare because they don’t make much money. Now how is this Affordable Care Act a good thing for the rest of us?

  16. legal beagle says - Posted: November 22, 2014

    More Californian’s who use to work in NV will now be going on welfare and you stupid CA’s will be paying for it.
    What a deal for NV. What are you going to do about it SLT government?

  17. Rhinopoker says - Posted: November 22, 2014

    What is not being said here is that tourist who have many choices are not choosing to spend their dollars in SLT. The lack of snow, over the hill attractions, only a few good restaurants and out dated decor of the city is making them choose other destinations or stay local and gamble at the new and convenient nearby Indian Casino.

    It is going to take some great leadership and marketing to work hard to attract these tourist back to SLT. The Hard Rock is a start and Harrison Street is dressing up the town.

    It is Thanksgiving week and town is empty, that should be a clue as to what is happening and why the big Casinos are laying off their workforce.

    As for Mount Bleu they are just one of the many companies that figured it is way more affordable to pay the fine and let us the tax payers pay the rest. The wave is getting bigger and this health care act will be anything but affordable for people who work and pay taxes.

  18. Reloman says - Posted: November 22, 2014

    Rhino I really don’t know where you are getting your numbers to say tourist are not coming to SLT. This last year is the best room night count in 6 years and if we would have had a average winter it really would have been great. As far as lodging revenue it is the best in over a decade. Here is a link on the latest room and revenue numbers http://www.cityofslt.us/DocumentCenter/View/4549

    As far as thanksgiving is concerned you must be new in town or don’t realize that the weekends before a holiday are always soft. People will be coming in on Tuesday and we will be packed. I would place a bet on that one.

  19. Big Boy Pants says - Posted: November 22, 2014

    Legal Beagle, the state a laid off employee was working in pays their unemployment. A California resident who is laid off while working in Nevada will have their unemployment paid by Nevada. And what’s with your “you stupid CA’s” comment? I’ve lived in both states and haven’t found ones residents particularly more stupid than the other.

  20. legal beagle says - Posted: November 22, 2014

    Big boy, after their unemployment runs out they will be on welfare. Please re-read first comment.

  21. Sierralive says - Posted: November 22, 2014

    South Lake Tahoe doesn’t look very empty, seen the new Coldwater? Its been very busy since Friday evening.

  22. My oh my says - Posted: November 22, 2014

    SLT is a cheap, ugly, junk town. Urban blight everywhere. White trash, and illegals who don’t report crimes or gangs because they are afraid. This is what the town is now. No rule of law, and a third world country.

  23. Rhinopoker says - Posted: November 23, 2014

    Tried the Coldwater today and the beer is excellent. Another plus for South Lake. I talked to three taxi drivers today and they all said it is soft on business for what should be a busy week.

  24. reloman says - Posted: November 23, 2014

    rhino the busy week doesnt really start until tuesday or wednesday, though a friend with a motel told me he is way up from last friday though the end of the month over last year by over 30%

  25. Cranky Gerald says - Posted: November 23, 2014

    There is no figuring how the new hotel at Edgewood thinks it is going to make money, when all the older ones are in such trouble.
    Look at Atlantic City which lost 4 of its 12 casino-hotels back to back a short number of months ago.

    There are simply too many places to gamble and it is showing. The hotel rooms are too expensive for a greater percentage of our citizens than ever before.
    And of course we are knocking down the affordable motels in the name of reducing blight.

    Recreation is the focus of the entirety of the South Lake Tahoe plan, but the type of recreation we have here, as good as it is, simply doesn’t appeal to everyone, nor is it affordable to all economic groups.

    Zip lines and other whistles and bells are not going to increase tourism numbers in a significant way.

    When tourists see the prices charged they soon realize they are seen as simple fleecing targets.

    I firmly believe there needs to be a plan B which is a non tourist related economic driver. It does not have to be as large as tourism, but needs to be large enough to level the seasonal bumps and generate livable wages.

    I think that Tahoe’s airport could be one of these projects, and this has been modeled in many other areas with airport related industrial parks.

    We need to be thinking can instead of can’t, and the last SLT election did not do much to make me believe the current batch is much different than the last.