Northern California’s largest casino, Graton Resort & Casino in Rohnert Park, last week announced it was furloughing 75 percent of its employees, even as it contemplated the possibility of reopening in June.
The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria paid 2,000 team members through the end of April and also footed the bill for employees’ health benefits after closing down in mid-March—as all of California’s casinos did. Employees hired less than 90 days before were laid off while top executives took a 20 percent pay cut, according to Chairman Greg Sarris. He said the newest cuts recognized the fact that state restrictions were likely to keep the casino from reopening for several weeks.
He told the Press Democrat “We had to sit down with management and have some serious discussions.”
He added, “We’ve watched things with the virus go from bad to worse and saw it would probably be some time not having any revenue coming in, so what are we going to do?”
The tribe was helped in making its decision by federal stimulus funds that have begun paying into employee bank accounts. The tribe will continue to fund health benefits for employees who worked at least 20 hours a week.
The tribe is keeping a skeleton crew of about 150 employees in security and maintenance and cleaning crews and kitchen staff to feed them. In addition, 350 salaried employees remain on the job at the casino.
Sarris said the casino is contemplating a “modest reopening” possibly in June and noted that Wynn Resorts is looking at reopening its Las Vegas Strip property by Memorial Day.
Tribe has already formulated a four-step reopening plan that is being shared with Governor Gavin Newsom, whom the tribe will work closely with, he said. He described the casino environment as “a ‘Brave New World” adding, “Machines will be 6 feet apart and you cannot take off your mask unless you’re seated at a machine. Tables will be spaced apart and only three people allowed at a time, with the dealer heavily masked.”
Although Newsom has publicized his own four-stage plan for unchaining the state’s businesses, tribes, being sovereign governments, are not bound to follow them. Nevertheless, Sarris has promised to take most of the governor’s proposed precautions if the casino reopens ahead of Newsom’s timetable. Among them are installing machines that can read patrons’ temperatures as they enter.
“I’ve never had the attitude of, ‘Well, we don’t have to do what you tell us,’ ” the chairman said. “We are good neighbors, and we live here, too.”
