On Saturday 14 February, up to 500 workers at Crown Casino in Melbourne stopped work for 12 hours to demand a fair deal. For many it was only their first or second time going on strike.
From 4pm on Saturday, workers from across 50 departments rallied outside Crown Casino premises, hearing powerful speeches from union leaders and delegates about the unfair two-tier system Crown Casino is trying to introduce.
Workers escalated the struggle with a 24-hour strike from midnight on Monday 16 February to midnight on Tuesday, coinciding with Lunar New Year, one of the busiest days for the casino.
“The two-class system means that they can get cheaper jobs in to replace you,” a union organiser explained. “Your years of service … are on the chopping block.”
Workers then staged a sitdown occupation blocking access to Crown Towers hotel, the entrance to the exclusive Mahogany Room frequented by Crown’s richest and most prized clientele.
Solidarity spoke to a number of delegates on strike. “Workers from over 50 departments are out on strike to demand a fair and equal deal across the Crown Wide and Area Managers and Surveillance enterprise agreements,” said Zoe.
Alannah explained, “We had wage discussions for a month and a bit before we took action.”
There was a consensus among delegates that Crown had not been bargaining in good faith since the announcement of plans for a two-tier wage system late last year.
Bargaining stalled, leading to workers taking an eight-hour strike on New Year;s Eve and New Years Day.
Alannah noted that the December strike came after management shamefully ignored workers’ decisive vote (87 per cent) against their proposal.
This strike reportedly cost the company some $20 million and produced small wins for workers, including expanded entitlements for reproductive leave, unpaid domestic violence solidarity leave, 12 months’ unpaid gender affirmation leave, First Nations kinship and sorry business leave and a commitment in the form of an Equal Opportunity Affirmation statement, symbolic but important to workers.
It also saw the union offer concessions on full-time hours, contingent on Crown dropping its two-tier system—the former Crown was happy to accept, the latter it refused to do. Saturday’s 12-hour strike came as Crown continued to refuse to budge.
‘Pivot to growth’
Crown Casino was acquired for $8.9 billion in 2022 by US equity firm, Blackstone Inc, the world’s largest asset management company. New management announced plans to introduce a two-tier wage system late last year as part of a so-called “pivot to growth” plan.
According to the United Workers Union, the proposed system would see some workers paid at a significantly lower rate than others performing exactly the same work.
Most workers at Crown are employed on part-time contracts with minimum hours. Bosses will be clearly incentivised to roster newer, lower-paid workers. This means long-term workers, some of whom have been employed for more than 20 years, will lose out.
Jesse explained that “people are really beyond breaking point”.
“Crown employees have been pushed to a point where they cannot take it.”
Alannah added, “We all work really hard every single day and we are the ones that provide Crown with the money that they are so viciously holding against us right now.”
Jesse highlighted that while upper management like CEO David Tsai live in luxury, overseeing operations which rake in billions, many Crown workers are struggling week to week with living expenses.
“We cannot let people who get paid double, triple what we get paid walk all over us.
“Our only recourse is to stand up, fight back, which is what we’re doing here today.”
Ruthless offensive
Crown management has been ruthless. According to Alannah, the union had already offered to accept a pay increase of 2 per cent, the lowest in all Crown bargaining history and a pay cut in real terms, in exchange for management dropping the two-tier system. Management in return have “offered” the alternative of a wage freeze.
This shows how determined Crown management are to push through its two-tier system, which they have already implemented in Sydney. The only thing that can push them back is the determination of workers—through escalating strike action that involves more and more people.
As speakers highlighted, Blackstone Inc are not strapped for cash. Recently they bought Hamilton Island for a whopping $1.2 billion.
To make their action as effective as possible, it needs to involve as many workers as possible. There is an urgent need for UWU to establish a strike fund.
Without a strike fund many casual or part-time workers will be forced to make impossible decisions. And after Crown delegates stood up against Hanson’s racist film screening on their premises, many anti-racists would be eager to support them in their fight.
Workers also need to look towards shutting down operations which hit Crown’s pockets the hardest. Serious disruption of access to Crown Hotel, for example through a hard picket, could force Crown management back to the table.
By Tom Fiebig
