EZ Wealth and Money

As a fan of horse racing, I have spent the past month churning through hundreds of articles discussing the three legs of the Triple Crown. Although other stories outweighed it, I was surprised at the shocking news headlines behind the ongoing struggle of workers preparing for the 2012 Belmont Stakes.

10 years as a Belmont Stake betting clerk

When I started to delve into the world of the 2012 Belmont Stakes, I became fascinated with Elizabeth Minkel. At first, I thought my favorite blogger was a funny Belmont Park betting teller. Sadly, I watched her account of 2012 Belmont Park anticipations take a sour tone. In particular, she dreaded a repeat of a past Belmont Stakes where, “The tips were unusually lousy.”

Was there widespread instigation for this discontent? Interestingly, there was a perfectly good reason for angry voices to start sounding off before the 2012 Belmont Stakes.

Each Triple Crown leg supports workers

About the 2012 Preakness, Maryland governor Martin O’Malley says the race, “is a cornerstone to Maryland’s horse industry that supports 20,000 jobs and makes a $1.5 billion economic impact on the state.” In today’s rough job market, temporary jobs surrounding the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes are welcome opportunities.

Despite the need for jobs nationwide, there is evidence that Belmont Stakes employees were fired up in the weeks before the race and refusing to work.

Bad leader affects Belmont Stakes

BloodHorse.com summarizes the reasons workers are in an uproar in the days before the 2012 Belmont Stakes by explaining recent history. According to their report, NYRA had its power taken away and their top executive, Charles Hayward, was fired. This takeover came in response to the state investigating the $8.5 million that should have been in the pockets of bettors.

This problem with management came at a bad time since Belmont Park was in the middle of negotiating a new contract with workers. The Detroit Free Press reports that, “About 150 union members at NYRA’s Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga tracks have been working without a contract since February 2011, a year after the previous contract was given a one-year extension.”

2012 Belmont Stakes June 8 strike averted

News sources were reporting that there was a chance for a strike to start the day before the 2012 Belmont Stakes. Thankfully, mediators were able to get union members to reconsider walking off the job. The Associated Press indirectly quoted Vincent McElroen, financial secretary for Local 3 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), as saying, “he didn’t have specifics of the pact but that 80 maintenance workers and starters will be working Saturday.”

The changes NYRA originally wanted to make would mean that some workers had their pay cut by as much as 30%. With that in mind, the Associated Press concluded that, “The agreement addresses all major economic issues, including shift schedules, benefits for active employees, as well as pension and retiree medical benefits. The contract runs through Feb. 28, 2014.”