Pari-Mutuel Employees Union Votes to Strike in CA

Members of Local 280, California's Pari-Mutuel Employees Guild and a branch of the Service Employees International Union, voted to go on strike during a meeting July 12 in Monrovia, Calif.

Although negotiations with the state's racing associations and simulcast entities are ongoing—the next session was scheduled for July 13 at Los Alamitos Race Course—the date at which a strike could potentially commence is apparently under dispute.

Local 280 president John Valenzuela said Friday the union's contract ends at midnight July 17, a day before Del Mar's opening day. Del Mar Thoroughbred Club president Josh Rubinstein said the extension of the union's collective bargaining agreement runs through July 18.

Valenzuela declined to go into the specifics of the negotiation, but he indicated one of the "main issues" was the union's stance to retain mandatory staffing levels.

"The bottom line is this—we called for a general membership meeting and called for a strike vote," Valenzuela said. "There was huge attendance and an overwhelming vote to strike—86%. ... (Mandatory staffing) is one of the main issues, but I really don't want to get into it before we have our meeting today."

Rubinstein said, while progress is being made, the sticking point is the mandatory staffing levels. The state's tracks and simulcast facilities would like flexibility to have less staff on days when they feel it is necessary to serve their customers.

"We need to be able to staff on customer demand," Rubinstein said. "The existing contract has mandated staffing levels, which is outdated. In Del Mar's case, on opening day, we throw the kitchen sink at it. The next Thursday, we don't need as many people working. Local 280 is the only union agreement we have where staffing levels are mandated. In order for racetracks and simulcast venues to remain viable, we need staffing flexibility."

Despite those desires from the track operators, Rubinstein said offers have been made to Local 280 to extend the current contract, with mandatory staffing requirements, but the executive said those offers have all been turned down.

"We've offered Local 280 extensions of 30, 60, and 90 days," Rubinstein said. "They were all denied."

Valenzuela said the union is prepared to strike and has informed all of the required parties in the state—the California Horse Racing Board, the California Public Employment Relations Board, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, to name a few.

Rubinstein is hopeful a resolution can be reached. But in the event of a strike, he said Del Mar has a "contingency plan" that includes bringing in non-union workers and "customer service" efforts to help bettors use self-service betting terminals. All betting terminals at Del Mar can be converted into self-service machines, the executive said.

"While we would be very disappointed—Del Mar has a very good reputation dealing with all of our employees, including Local 280, treating them like family—if they chose to strike, we have a contingency plan," Rubinstein said. "We want an agreement with Local 280. Del Mar is the best opportunity for their members to work the most amount of days, and from a gratuity standpoint, Del Mar is the best opportunity for that.

"I'm a glass-half-full guy, and I think there's a deal to be done."