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Just had to announce to 400 tribal employees and their families that we are placing them on "unpaid leave," starting Easter Sunday. This is rough, man.
I'm going to share some thoughts on this process. I'm pretty raw, but here goes.
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I'm going to share some thoughts on this process. I'm pretty raw, but here goes.
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Despite what many assume, casino tribes aren't all rich. Most are just "getting by." And our executives dont run for-profit enterprises. These casinos fund our governments.
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My second job ever was as a dishwasher at our Tribe's casino restaurant when I was 16. I worked alongside "Suzie" in the kitchen. Suzie has worked in that kitchen for the last 25 years. She is a friend.
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In college, I drove a beer cart and carried bags at our casino golf course. Many of the grounds crew working then are still on staff. I know those guys. I know their families.
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In making this decision, I had to think about my wife's parents. I just took their paychecks from them. My Uncle. Several cousins. People I know and love as family.
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We have employees who are working late in life because they need the health insurance because they have cancer, or their spouse has arthritis. One friend counts on his insurance so his kid can manage a life-threatening medical condition. I took their paychecks too.
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In the past week, several employees reached out to me pleading to keep their health insurance coverage if we laid them off. Our Tribal Council chose to continue to pay for that coverage. It's the right thing to do. But, it is painful to our Tribe's finances.
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I'm not some Wall Street CEO who views employees as numbers on a spreadsheet. I'm a dude from the Rez. Our employees are my family. My friends. My mentors. I know them. I really know them. I know their families. I know their parents, and their kids.
This hurts.
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This hurts.
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Now, I'm going to get political for a minute.
We worked with Congress and other tribes to ensure that tribal casinos like ours were included in the CARES Act. It was a tough fight. But, we were all successful. Congress included tribes in the small business paycheck loans.
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We worked with Congress and other tribes to ensure that tribal casinos like ours were included in the CARES Act. It was a tough fight. But, we were all successful. Congress included tribes in the small business paycheck loans.
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