MGM labor pact approved; Juliano resurfaces

It’s unknown how much of a pay increase the Culinary Union extracted from MGM Resorts International but it was enough to persuade workers to ratify the new contract. As with the Caesars Entertainment pact, workers will be issued alarm buttons and a succession clause, should any MGM Strip property be sold (a minor concession on management’s part, in our opinion). “Money is important, but it’s not only about that,” said housekeeper Francis Garcia, implying that the Culinary came up short on its 4% pay-increase demand. What she likes about the new arrangement is that it contains unspecified protections for Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigrants, two groups currently in the Trump administration’s cross-hairs.

In a first, the contract includes three-day bereavement leave, too. The company also agreed to collaborate with Culinary on a time-and-motion study to analyze the workloads of housekeepers, which haven’t changed since 2002. While the Culinary has refrained from comparing the Caesars and MGM agreements, they’re both pretty “george.” Next up: Stratosphere. Will it go with the flow or try to plead poverty (profit statements to the contrary)?

* Coming way down in the world, former Sands Bethlehem president Mark Juliano has landed at struggling Del Lago Resort & Casino, in New York State. Since the appointment hasn’t been approved yet by Empire State regulators (a formality, we’re sure), Juliano won’t take office until July 9. He inherits a casino that has come up far short of its revenue projections and will have to go into competition with his former place of employment. Juliano’s Pollyannaish predecessor, Jeff Babinski, saw the handwriting on the wall and got a job with a far more promising casino, Boyd Gaming‘s Kansas Star. We think highly of Juliano and hope has a few tricks up his sleeve to improve Del Lago’s fortunes.