In 2006, Wynn Las Vegas implemented a controversial tip-sharing policy reduced dealers' tips by splitting a percentage of tips collected by dealers at the gambling tables with dealers' immediate supervisors. Nevada's Labor Commissioner declared the policy legal in July and dealers are appealing the ruling in Clark County District Court. Naturally, this angered many dealers at the resort and they then voted for union representation.

Now, more than three years after the dealers brought in the union, they have voted to approve the resort's first-ever labor contract. About 60 percent of Wynn's 500-plus full-time dealers cast votes, union representatives said, and the vote ended with a count 258 to 65 in favor of that contract.

While the 10-year contract maintains the resort's controversial tip-sharing policy, the 54-page contract provides "status quo" protection for dealers, including some protection against at-will terminations, according to the Wynn dealers' union representative.

Some dealers have expressed disappointment that the union was unable to reverse the tip policy that reduced dealers' tips by splitting a percentage of tips collected by dealers at the gambling tables with dealers' immediate supervisors. Nevada's Labor Commissioner declared the policy legal in July and dealers are appealing the ruling in Clark County District Court. However, the new contract doesn't interfere with the dealers' ongoing legal challenge against the tip policy.

A minority of the resort's dealers are petitioning to remove the union as their bargaining representative on hold as the National Labor Relations Board investigates claims that the resort terminated Wynn dealers in violation of labor laws.


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