A group of Maverick employees gather outside the Union Hall in Tukwila after voting on a first-time union contract.

FIRST-TIME CONTRACT FOR MAVERICK TEAMSTERS RATIFIES ON A 98% YES VOTE!

A group of over 1,700 employees of Maverick Gaming LLC has voted overwhelmingly to ratify a first-time union contract with Teamsters Local 117.

The new three-year agreement is the first of its kind for workers in the gaming industry in Washington State. The contract provides workers with a defined-benefit pension through the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Trust, improved compensation, and greater access to health care, along with a number of other workplace improvements. Voting took place throughout the week at meetings in Pasco, Yakima, Tukwila, Everett, and Tacoma, WA.

“I want to congratulate and welcome Maverick employees to our Union,” said John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117. “These workers took a courageous step to stand together as Teamsters to secure their rights and benefits in the workplace. Together we have achieved a historic agreement that will improve the lives of over 1,700 working people and their families.”

"Together we have achieved a historic agreement..."

Ballots were tallied in Everett on Thursday evening, where workers reacted to the news of the contract ratification with excitement. “I love this contract. It gives my entire family – and when I say family, I mean every employee I work with at Maverick – it gives us all a stable future. It gives us job security, longevity, and a voice. It’s 100% the best thing for all of us,” said Wes Tompkins, a dealer at Coyote Bob’s Casino in Kennewick with over 20 years’ experience in the industry.

“I’m really excited about the contract,” added Jewalea Schnabel, a server and bartender at the Caribbean Casino in Kirkland. “The fact that we are part of the Union is a big step in itself. I’m also excited that we’re getting a pay raise for our cooks and excited about the pension. It will bring lifelong stability for all of us. That’s a really good thing.”

All 19 members of our Union Negotiations Committee recommend that you vote YES to approve the proposal

Starting next week Union members at Maverick will have a historic opportunity to vote on a first-ever contract proposal that will improve their workplace rights and provide lasting benefits for themselves and their families. 

The proposal is fully-recommended by our Union Negotiations Committee. The Committee consisted of 19 Maverick union members who actively participated in negotiations. All 19 members of the Committee unanimously recommend that you vote YES to approve the agreement.

We have scheduled Contract Ratification Meetings at multiple times and locations. At the meetings, you will have an opportunity to review the proposal and ask questions before the vote.

Teamsters at Maverick should attend the meeting that is most convenient to them:

Teamster power on the steps of the State Capitol in Olympia!

Hundreds of Teamsters 117 members and their families flooded the State Capitol in Olympia yesterday for our 2020 Lobby Day. 

SEE PHOTOS FROM LOBBY DAY HERE!

Teamsters from all sectors, including our newly-organized members at Maverick Gaming, spoke with legislators about how safe staffing levels in our prisons helps build safer communities.

"We need safe staffing and security for corrections because what we do protects the public," said corrections officer Samuel Coleman of the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton.

Coleman, along with over two hundred of our members from the Department of Corrections, took that message to the halls of the Legislative Building where we engaged legislators in short but pointed conversations.

Our talks with legislators also focused on another priority for our Union: To ensure that Local 117 workers in the gaming industry have a voice over any proposed expansion of gambling in Washington State. 

"We are stronger together and our voices are louder."

"I have been working at the Great American Casino in Tukwila for 15 years and am a single mother of three," said card dealer, Davy Men. "Every decision concerning gaming is important to me. Our voice should be heard."

The day's activities culminated with a rally on the steps of the State Capitol where Local 117 Secretary-Treasurer John Scearcy and member leaders led the group in chants and spoke about how our collective power has brought about meaningful legislative change.

"The work we are doing here is incredibly important," Scearcy said. "Our legislative agenda and priorities are built off of what matters to the workers we represent. When we fight for these priorities, we are improving lives and impacting our membership as a whole. We are stronger together and our voices are louder."

Thank you to all of the members who traveled to Olympia for Lobby Day. You make our Teamster voice powerful and loud! See a complete list of our legislative priorities for 2020 here.

Our Union Negotiations Committee achieves a first-time contract for workers in the gaming industry in Washington State.

Teamsters Local 117 has achieved a fully-recommended settlement agreement over a first-time contract for over 1,700 gaming industry workers employed by Maverick Gaming. Negotiations between the Union’s 19-member Negotiations Committee and the Company took place on February 6 and 7 at the Teamsters Union Hall in Tukwila.

If approved by the membership, the new three-year agreement would provide workers with retirement security benefits through the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Trust, improve compensation, and provide greater access to health care for Teamsters at Maverick.

“This is a powerful first-time agreement that will provide lasting benefits to union members and their families,” said John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117. “Our Union Negotiations Committee worked incredibly hard to achieve a fully-recommended proposal that reflects the priorities of the membership. We are excited to present the proposal to our members for their consideration.”

"This is a powerful first-time agreement that will provide lasting benefits to union members and their families."

Maverick employees will be the first unionized gaming-industry workers in Washington State. They sought representation with the Teamsters because they wanted a voice over issues like their compensation, health care, retirement security, scheduling, and other working conditions.

“I am very proud of the job our Union Negotiations Committee did. We worked hard to make sure that dealer tips are protected. We also made sure that our cooks, wait staff, and security are well-represented,” said Jackie Franco, a dealer at the Caribbean Casino in Kirkland.

Teamsters Local 117 was authorized as the workers’ exclusive bargaining representative through a card check process conducted by an independent arbitrator last December. Throughout the organizing process, Maverick remained neutral and allowed workers to determine for themselves whether they wanted union representation. “Maverick came to the negotiating table with an open mind and was willing to negotiate contract provisions that will improve the lives of our members,” Scearcy said.

The Union is in the process of scheduling contract ratification meetings so that members have an opportunity to review and vote on the proposal. “This is a historic agreement that, if ratified by the membership, will bring thousands of good, Teamster jobs with family wages and secure benefits to workers in the gaming industry in the Pacific Northwest,” Scearcy said. “It was possible because Maverick employees had the courage to stand together in a strong union to secure their rights and benefits in the workplace.”

This is an exciting time for workers in the gaming industry in Washington State. Teamsters 117, one of the most powerful and respected unions in the Pacific Northwest, has been certified to represent you in contract negotiations with your employer.

This means that a Union Negotiation Committee will meet with Maverick to negotiate a first-time contract that will secure your rights and benefits in the workplace.  The Committee will consist of professional Teamsters 117 negotiators along with a team of your co-workers to ensure that everyone who works at Maverick is represented at the negotiation table.

To prepare for negotiations, your voice is critical!  Your feedback will help your Union Negotiation Committee develop meaningful proposals for negotiations.  You can provide feedback in two ways: 1) Complete the online Contract Survey and 2) attend a Contract Demands Meeting.

1. CONTRACT SURVEY – COMPLETE THE SURVEY!
Our Union’s legal team has developed a short survey that will help you and your co-workers establish priorities for negotiations. The survey will take you 5-10 minutes to complete. By taking the survey, you are making sure your voice is heard in the contract negotiations process. 

CONTRACT SURVEY - CLICK HERE!

2. CONTRACT DEMANDS MEETINGS – ATTEND A MEETING!
Contract Demands Meetings are another opportunity for you to provide feedback so that the Union can establish priorities for negotiations. At the meetings, you will also be selecting Shop Stewards. These are your co-workers who will help represent you in your workplace. Please attend one of the Contract Demands Meetings listed below.

Thank you for your participation in this process! As soon as we have established negotiation dates with Maverick, we will let you know.  Our goal is to make sure you have the strongest possible representation and to negotiate a contract based on your priorities that will provide a better, more secure future for you and your family.

Maverick employees at the Great American Casino in Tukwila celebrate certification of their union!  

More than 1,700 card room workers employed by Maverick Gaming have chosen Teamsters Local 117. The Seattle-based Local Union was authorized as the workers’ exclusive bargaining representative through a card check process conducted by an independent arbitrator today.

“We are thrilled to welcome Maverick employees to our Union,” said John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117. “Workers in the many card rooms across Washington State deserve a strong voice in the workplace and a contract that protects their rights and reflects their priorities. We are committed to working with them to achieve that goal.”

"We are thrilled to welcome Maverick employees to our Union."

Maverick employees will be the first unionized gaming-industry workers in Washington State. They sought representation with the Teamsters because they wanted a voice over issues like their wages, health care, retirement security, scheduling, and other working conditions.

“I feel it’s time for gaming employees to have a collective voice and input in the decision-making,” said Babet Vanvolkenburg, a dealer at the Macau Casino in Renton with over 20-years’ experience in the industry. “With the union we can have more job security.”

“I want the union because we’ll have an opportunity to improve our working conditions. My priorities are things like paid holidays, more vacation, and better wages,” said Mariano Quizapa, a cook at the Silver Dollar Casino in SeaTac.

Throughout the organizing process, Maverick remained neutral and allowed workers to determine for themselves whether they wanted union representation. “Maverick provides an excellent example of how a company should conduct itself during a union organizing drive,” Scearcy said. “While some employers fire workers or aggressively spread anti-union propaganda, Maverick trusted its workers to decide for themselves whether they wanted to join the union.”

The certification of Teamsters Local 117 as the workers’ exclusive representative triggers the process for contract negotiations. In January, workers will meet to establish their priorities for negotiations and identify rank-and-file leaders to participate on the union bargaining committee.

“This is a historic moment for workers in a previously unorganized industry in Washington State,” Scearcy said. “We look forward to sitting down with Maverick and negotiating a contract that reflects the priorities of these workers – things like good family medical benefits, a secure retirement, and secure scheduling – all of the protections and benefits of a strong Teamsters contract.”