Workers thrown under Mystic Lake

Harvey Mackay had a good but short article in the Star Tribune regarding Sam Walton's 10 Secrets to Success. Talking to my former co-workers today I realized how few my former employer adheres to. It's not like Wal-Mart is the biggest company in the world for nothing! It would be wise for employers to check out these tips that Sam left.

Speaking to former co-workers, I am thankful for no longer being there. Their "no talking rule" has become even more strictly enforced. Anyone caught speaking to another co-worker is immediately sent home. If it occurs more than 3 times in a 6 month period of time, the employee is terminated.

Another rule being strictly enforced are more changes towards the W2G tax software. It appears they have changed programs and criteria deemed critical to the Federal governent. Any deviation from 100% accuracy is grounds for punishment. Several supervisors have been fired and a few demoted for inaccuracies. Atypical of Mystic slot specialists are not being fired to the extent that supervisors are for this standard.

They are also asking employees to "watch what they say online." Any discussion of the policies I stated above are grounds for termination. Protecting the company from media scrutiny is so strict that they even put in their newsletter "be careful who you add as friends on social networking sites." Seriously? Is this a Minnesotan employer or did their policy board teleport here from Communist China? Sovereign status does not mean you can set fire to the Constitution on a daily basis.

Another myth they claim is that anything you say online stays forever. They make it sound like if you diss them in an online chat, that they will find out. Kinda gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling when your employer is digitally stalking you.

Anyone considering working for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community better not have a life outside their job. That is, if you wish to keep it. That and you are considered the equivalent to a slave without the ability to speak working at Mystic Lake. If the secondhand smoke doesn't kill you, the lack of social interaction will.

But to be fair, I should include that Minnesota Monthly claims Mystic Lake as one of the state's best employers. The only reason it stated so was that they have a health clinic on site. They conveniently forgot to mention that they get a lot of advertising dollars from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, as well as its owners at Minnesota Public Radio. ( Ever get sick of hearing how "philanthropic" they are with giving out automatic defibrillators? )

Unemployment Appeal Letter

At this point, I was several weeks into unemployment. I had received no income. I had to wait until I won my appeal case. There was no guarantee I would win an appeal.

Lawyers from the law firm Olson, Allen, & Rasmussen were actively searching my blog. What did they expect to find? They spent hours a day surfing my blogs. I hope they decided to send a check to the Green Party, go carfree, or stop supporting wars. I assumed they would misconstrue some of my blogs to "prove" I didn't deserve my unemployment. A very worrying time indeed, because the economy was just beginning to collapse. Little did I know, they decided it not worth defending their lies in court.

I received a letter about possible healthcare. COBRA would take up more than my entire take home after unemployment, so I declined healthcare coverage for myself and my son Josiah. I would just have to cross my fingers until a new job manifested itself. Of course, I was still hopeful someone at Shakopee Dakotah would come to their senses.

My 401K had also asked me what option I wanted to take. In May it was worth $13,000. About the same as the DOW Industrial Average. If I didn't cash out now, I never could until I retired. Why would I keep my money in a nation that doesn't value me or my rights as a worker? I was angry, and unsure if the economy could cope with $100+ a barrel oil, so I cashed out. In October my 401K would have been worth $8000. SO even with a 10% penalty tax, cashing out in May was well worth it. I sold high, not low. :D

Initial denial of Unemployment

I am confounded as to why the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance denied my claim. I wonder if they do this to prevent people from actually receiving any money. It could be a tactic that they use to "save" taxpayer money. But in actuality, they are only shielding the worst employers from their duties to formerly loyal employees.

Anyone who is denied benefits in Minnesota should appeal and fight it as long as they can.

Why is it that everyone I know that worked at Mystic Lake and is fired without a reason is initially denied? Alan Maki believes that the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Develeopment ( DEED ) are conspiring to do this intentionally. This could be true, as Mystic Lake's lawyer didn't even bother to show up to court. I won my appeal, because they never stated in writing why I was fired.

Because I was denied my unemployment, I had to go without income for two months. Fortunately, I had been saving up for an emergency like this.

Appeal process at Mystic Lake

For those who may be fired at Mystic Lake or Little Six, this is the form you are asked to sign to appeal. I went through this process, but unless you know a tribal member personally, you really have no recourse. Or you need a lot of money for a lawyer, which you may not have if you are denied unemployment and have no other source of income. :P

I turned this in with my appeal. I was informed via voice mail that I was denied. The caller almost said she was from Little Earth. Funny how they are only a few blocks away from me and are community-oriented while Mystic Lake is corporate-oriented. Worlds away not just physically but ideologically.

Appeal to Human Resources at Mystic Lake

SMSC Gaming Enterprise
Human Resources Department

I was informed on April 30th, 2008 that my employment at Mystic Lake could not continue due to comments, statements, and individuals on my blog. I was told I had breached the confidentiality agreement that I had signed.

I was told that I had listed names of guests. I searched for this. One un-named guest gave me a button.The button was the primary focus of that post.

It took me a while to find a guest I had actually named. This would be Michael Cavlan. He was a candidate for U.S. Senate. I didn’t vote for him ( don’t tell him ) but I do work with him on a number of political issues and causes, primarily in Minneapolis. I had just gone to the Minneapolis City Council that very day with other activists to try to stop the Midtown Burner. This is what excited me about seeing Michael that very day. He is an acquaintance of mine who would be quite upset if he were to find out that I were losing my job because I spoke about him.
The employees names I mentioned are those I have spent time with outside of work.
Nowhere did I say the work policies that I was discussing were from Mystic Lake. Nor did I seek to harm the business or clients of Mystic Lake.

I must concede that you explain things in a context that you might understand, but others do not. I mentioned Mystic once instead of the location that it was at! It’s like I assumed readers would understand its distance from where I live.

I did some research to find precedence regarding employees let go due to blogging. One individual from Microsoft took photos inside of their building and posted this online. A Google employee who was new to the job wrote about every aspect explicitly about his introduction to the company and what he did his first week there. A Starbucks employee used expletives very liberally on his blog to express what he thought personally of his supervisor. The above are security concerns, and I can understand the employer’s perspective. But I do not see my blog within the criteria parameters necessary for dismissal.

I did not receive a warning for the confidentiality policy. I looked at my policy handbook and could not find a copy of this policy, and request that I receive one.

This moment could be an opportunity. More positive things could be said about Mystic Lake online.

Please re-employ me because I have not done anything egregious to deserve such treatment from my long-term employers.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,


-Kevin Chavis

Backstage clip regarding excellent service.

The image is from the March 2007 issue of Backstage. I have had numerous awards from my exemplary customer service.

Worked at Mystic Lake from June 2001 until May of 2008. I would have worked there until they realized I was active in the Green Party. Only tribally approved politics are acceptable to them.

Letter to Prior Lake administration - 1999

The letter to the left is from my senior year in High School in Prior Lake. Obviously the school is a tad bit strict.

When a girl is expelled from school for having a pink water gun underneath the passenger seat of her car parked at the High School. you know your school is overly harsh.

There was a book published about my senior year, but to me I find it my humorous than enlightening: Another Planet by Elinor Burkett. As if my friends would shoot up the school or something.