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 Message 17767 of 22774 in Behind the Bar
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Subject: Re: vegas apprenticeship questions
From: vegastud
Posted: Sun Jan 7. 2007, 15:05 UTC
Followup to: "vegas apprenticeship questions"  by whitebeltjones  (Sun Jan 7. 2007, 08:01 UTC)
> hi guys first time poster long time lurker.
> 
> anyways this thread is for vegastud or any other vegas people.i have 
> some questions about the union apprenticeship in vegas.
> 
> 1.how hard is it to get in as an apprentice?i know aot of people dont 
> want to start as a barback or deal with a union...so does this make 
> for less competition?

--very easy to enter as an apprentice, social security card, address, phone #, 
$50 sign up fee.  yes there are the bartenders that believe 'paying their 
dues' as a barback is beneath them.  and no there is no less competition.  
within the last 2-3 years there has been an massive influx of apprentices in 
the union. 

--i see a few retired military getting their union licenses through the 
apprentice program.  these military guys already have all the benefits of 
retiring through the military by age 40, and now they are starting another 
quest to make money as a union bartender.  it works great for them.


> 2.what is the starting wage and do you always get 40 hours a week?
--wages for barbacks downtown are around $10 an hour with all the benefits of 
a bartender, except barbacks get tipped by bartenders.  and around $12 an hour 
on the strip.

i would guess and say 80-85% of the time an apprentice will get 40+ hours a 
week.
good barbacks are hard to find, lazy bartenders are easy to find.
 
> 3.since it is a union position (more career oriented)would it be 
> possible to finish a college degree while working?

--absolutly.  in fact there was a guy that worked a graveyard room service bar 
for a couple of years(room service is always slow, graveyard especially).  he 
would study and do homework on his shift, then take his classes during the day.


 
> 4.do the bartenders/barbacks cover all the bars 
> (casino,lounges,restaurants,clubs etc)in the hotel/casino or just the 
> service bars?and do the apprentice barbacks have an assigned bar for 
> a shift or do they cover the whole place?

--bartenders have two kinds of schedules, 'shifts' and 'extra board'.  a shift 
is a permanent shift where a bartender works all the time, it doesnt change.  
extra board, what i am right now, changes every week.  i fill in for people on 
vacation or ask for days off.  extra board bartenders can be pulled from bars 
to work other bars at management's discretion.  bartenders with shifts cannot.

--barbacks can be pulled anytime to work anywhere.

--most clubs out here are leased out to companies.  these companies pay the 
bartenders minimum wage, no benefits, and have been told that some managers of 
these companies will take the bartenders tip pool and do the cut. that might 
be gossip because i have only heard of it.  i havent seen it.

> 
> thanks a bunch guys and apologize for all the questions
> 
> p.s yes i did search for threads on this but i would like updated 
> information that is all in  one place


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