In casino fight, Orlando tourism leaders raise the specter of unions
Led by Walt Disney World, the Orlando tourism industry is lobbying hard to prevent the construction of Las Vegas-style casinos in Florida, arguing that the multibillion-dollar resorts would undermine the state's family-friendly reputation.
But the industry is wary of something else, too: unions.
Orlando tourism businesses fear the arrival of casinos, which are heavily unionized in markets such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City, could spur efforts to organize in more Florida hotels, according to a report prepared by Spectrum Gaming Group, a firm hired for nearly $400,000 by the Florida Legislature to study the impact of expanding gaming. Hoteliers would face higher costs if new unions successfully negotiated better wages, benefits and work conditions for employees.
But the industry is wary of something else, too: unions.
Orlando tourism businesses fear the arrival of casinos, which are heavily unionized in markets such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City, could spur efforts to organize in more Florida hotels, according to a report prepared by Spectrum Gaming Group, a firm hired for nearly $400,000 by the Florida Legislature to study the impact of expanding gaming. Hoteliers would face higher costs if new unions successfully negotiated better wages, benefits and work conditions for employees.
Spectrum, which issued its first report this month, said the concerns about unions were raised in a meeting with executives and lobbyists representing several prominent Central Florida tourism interests, including Disney World, whose work force is already organized, and non-union employers such as Universal Orlando and the Orlando World Center Marriott.
Representatives for Disney, Universal and Marriott all declined to publicly discuss the issue. Rich Maladecki, the president of the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association and another participant in the meeting with Spectrum, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Bolstered by Florida's "right to work" laws, which favor employers over unions, Orlando's tourism industry has for years opposed organizing efforts and other labor-supported measures that could raise their costs. Most recently, the industry helped persuade Orange County commissioners to delay a petition drive that would have forced local businesses to provide paid sick time to workers and then persuaded state lawmakers to block the measure entirely.
Aside from Disney World — where workers are represented by an assortment of labor groups — only a handful of local tourism businesses are unionized, such as a few hotels and some food-service workers at Orlando International Airport and the Orange County Convention Center. By contrast, Universal has successfully defeated at least seven attempts during the past two decades to organize its work force.
Tourism leaders frequently tout the region's lack of unions when wooing conventions and trade shows.
"When I was in hotel sales, one of my selling points when I was going up against a Las Vegas or a Chicago was the fact that we were non-union," said Scott Smith, a former Marriott manager in Orlando who is now an assistant professor in the University of South Carolina School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. "Unions drive the costs up on just about everything. And when you're talking about doing million-dollar shows, even if it's just a 2 or 3 percent increase, you're talking about a substantial amount of money."
Federal data show that workers represented by unions earn more than non-union workers.
Including the value of benefits, unionized employees earned an average of $40.43 per hour in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was 44 percent higher than the $28.02-an-hour average earned by non-union employees.
The local tourism leaders who met with Spectrum Gaming Group made the same point when arguing against casinos. "Orlando is able to compete [for conventions] on other levels, as well, such as the absence of union-related rules in other states that often add to the cost of setting up conventions and other meetings, as Florida is a 'right to work' state," Spectrum wrote in its report.
Labor experts agree that unions would likely try to organize employees in any new casino resorts in Florida, given its prevalence in the industry. "They will attract organizing campaigns," said Robert Bruno, a professor in the University of Illinois School of Labor & Employment Relations.
Representatives for Disney, Universal and Marriott all declined to publicly discuss the issue. Rich Maladecki, the president of the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association and another participant in the meeting with Spectrum, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Bolstered by Florida's "right to work" laws, which favor employers over unions, Orlando's tourism industry has for years opposed organizing efforts and other labor-supported measures that could raise their costs. Most recently, the industry helped persuade Orange County commissioners to delay a petition drive that would have forced local businesses to provide paid sick time to workers and then persuaded state lawmakers to block the measure entirely.
Aside from Disney World — where workers are represented by an assortment of labor groups — only a handful of local tourism businesses are unionized, such as a few hotels and some food-service workers at Orlando International Airport and the Orange County Convention Center. By contrast, Universal has successfully defeated at least seven attempts during the past two decades to organize its work force.
Tourism leaders frequently tout the region's lack of unions when wooing conventions and trade shows.
"When I was in hotel sales, one of my selling points when I was going up against a Las Vegas or a Chicago was the fact that we were non-union," said Scott Smith, a former Marriott manager in Orlando who is now an assistant professor in the University of South Carolina School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management. "Unions drive the costs up on just about everything. And when you're talking about doing million-dollar shows, even if it's just a 2 or 3 percent increase, you're talking about a substantial amount of money."
Federal data show that workers represented by unions earn more than non-union workers.
Including the value of benefits, unionized employees earned an average of $40.43 per hour in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was 44 percent higher than the $28.02-an-hour average earned by non-union employees.
The local tourism leaders who met with Spectrum Gaming Group made the same point when arguing against casinos. "Orlando is able to compete [for conventions] on other levels, as well, such as the absence of union-related rules in other states that often add to the cost of setting up conventions and other meetings, as Florida is a 'right to work' state," Spectrum wrote in its report.
Labor experts agree that unions would likely try to organize employees in any new casino resorts in Florida, given its prevalence in the industry. "They will attract organizing campaigns," said Robert Bruno, a professor in the University of Illinois School of Labor & Employment Relations.
But Bruno said it is a stretch to say that unionized casinos in Miami would lead to more unions elsewhere in the state.
Some gambling supporters and union advocates say they think Orlando tourism officials are simply casting about for as many arguments as possible against casinos. Raising the specter of organized labor could be particularly effective in Florida, where the Republican-controlled Legislature is proudly anti-union.
"They're looking for anything that resembles the boogeyman in an effort to keep casinos from expanding into Florida," said Ed Chambers, president of the Service Trades Council, a coalition of unions that represents Disney World workers.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-07-22/business/os-orlando-gambling-unions-20130722_1_orlando-world-center-marriott-universal-orlando-tourism-industry
Some gambling supporters and union advocates say they think Orlando tourism officials are simply casting about for as many arguments as possible against casinos. Raising the specter of organized labor could be particularly effective in Florida, where the Republican-controlled Legislature is proudly anti-union.
"They're looking for anything that resembles the boogeyman in an effort to keep casinos from expanding into Florida," said Ed Chambers, president of the Service Trades Council, a coalition of unions that represents Disney World workers.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-07-22/business/os-orlando-gambling-unions-20130722_1_orlando-world-center-marriott-universal-orlando-tourism-industry
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