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Pari-Mutuel Clerks Say They Will Honor Derby Day Picket Line At Churchill Downs If Valets Go On Strike

The pari-mutuel clerks employed by Churchill Downs Incorporated in Louisville, Ky., announced they will honor the Churchill Downs valets' picket line, if they decide to strike on the day of the Kentucky Derby. The absence of 200 pari-mutuel clerks at the Derby would shut down hundreds of betting stations and disrupt the money-making engine of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

SEIU Local 541's Executive Board President Don Vest said: “The pari-mutuel clerks stand in full solidarity with valets who have been patiently waiting for a fair contract since last fall. They have informed the valets that they will honor the picket line if they choose to go on strike tomorrow.”

Valets employed by Churchill Downs Incorporated at Churchill Downs Racetrack have not had a contract since October. The parimutuel clerks' support comes as Churchill Downs refused to accept the offer by valets, represented by SEIU Local 541, to meet with a mediator this morning to resolve the open contracts at Churchill Downs Racetrack and Turfway Park. Turfway valets have not had a contract since April 2020.

Ronnie Shelton, an SEIU Local 541 member and veteran of the Kentucky Derby, criticized Churchill Downs' attempts to prolong a contract dispute that they delayed for months and ultimately risk disruptions to the Derby: “Churchill Downs' offer to meet next week without agreeing to use a mediator, and with no assurances that they will actually move on any of their proposals, is unacceptable and insulting, especially when they canceled our last meeting abruptly and refused to acknowledge our offer to finalize a deal. The biggest day of the year is tomorrow, and Churchill Downs is suggesting we work under a substandard contract so they can drive up their profits.

Shelton continued, “Our patience for excuses is wearing thin because we know Churchill Downs could pay us fairly in a second without feeling even the slightest pinch. There is no need to delay or threaten the Derby, and it's on Churchill Downs to stop the insulting delay tactics and agree to a fair contract.”

On Wednesday, the Greater Louisville Labor Council also pledged their support for Derby valets. President Todd Dunn said: “From the valets to the pari-mutuel clerks to the folks who put together the garland of roses, the Kentucky Derby is Union made. All of these workers are vital. With Derby just hours away, the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council is prepared to stand with these workers in any action. An injury to one is an injury to all.”

Churchill Downs Incorporated posted $1.054 billion in net revenue for 2020, and its CEO Bill Carstanjen made $10.5 million, yet the company is refusing to pay its valets at Churchill Downs Racetrack (CDRT) and Turfway Park a fair wage and provide basic workplace protections to ensure adequate staffing levels at the racetracks. The ratio of the CEO's compensation to the median salary of the other full-time employees in 2020 ($26,000) is 404:1. In the first few seconds of opening betting, the company easily makes the $27,000 it would cost to fully cover modest raises for its entire valet workforce.

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Derby Week Disruptions? Labor Unions To Protest Jockey Valets’ Contract Impasse With Churchill Downs Inc.

A group of workers and members of SEIU Local 541, essential to successful horse races, are entering Kentucky Derby Week in Louisville, Ky., without a contract. On Saturday, labor and community allies will support these workers at a protest at Churchill Downs Racetrack to alert the public to potential disruptions during Derby Week and call on Churchill Downs Incorporated to do right by their employees in Kentucky and agree to fair contracts.

Churchill Downs Incorporated, which brought in over $1 billion in revenue last year, is refusing to agree to a fair contract that gives its valets at Churchill Downs Racetrack and Turfway Park a fair wage and basic workplace protections to ensure adequate staffing levels at the racetracks. The valets are highly skilled workers whose work is critical to the success and safety of the Kentucky Derby operation. They must saddle horses and make sure each horse is compliant with stringent racing regulations.

The valets have been working under expired contracts since last year and they say the company's refusal to agree to common-sense contracts could result in major disruptions during Kentucky Derby Week.

At 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, prior to opening night's 6 p.m. first post, the Louisville labor community – including members of Teamsters Local 89 and the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council – will be meeting outside of the track's main gate at 700 Central Avenue.

According to a notice distributed by the labor union, Churchill Downs Incorporated posted $1.054 billion in net revenue for 2020, and CEO Bill Carstanjen made $10.5 million. Meanwhile, its valets are currently paid about $16 an hour and are asking for modest increases to their pay and contributions to their retirement accounts to provide financial stability for themselves and their families. They are also asking for guaranteed valet staffing levels at live races to ensure consistency and safety. In order to make a living at racetracks that only provide work for 40-80 days per year, valets must travel throughout the country to different race tracks and are responsible for their own travel and housing costs.

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Luis ‘The Cheetah’ Leon, Former Jockey, Valet Passes At 90

A popular Jockeys' Room valet in Southern California and former jockey, Luis Leon passed away peacefully Dec. 29 at age 90, according to his son David. A contract rider with Rex Ellsworth in the 1950s and '60s, Leon was nicknamed “The Cheetah” and was seldom without a smile.

As a valet, his services were in keen demand and he worked for a number of top riders over the years including Eddie Delahoussaye, Patrick Valenzuela, Martin Pedroza, Rafael Meza, David Flores and many others.

Following his retirement from the Jockeys' Room, Leon and his wife lived on his ranch southeast of San Diego, where he had fruit trees and cattle.

Leon, who had been in failing health the past several years, had suffered a heart attack recently and succumbed to the effects of the COVID-19 virus while hospitalized. Services are pending.

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