Possible Work Stoppage at Aqueduct Looming
 

Jockeys are self-employed. I've no idea why they expect the tracks or owners or anyone else to pay for their insurance.

That's an overly formalistic way of looking at things.

What matters is bargaining power, not who "should" pay for something.

Lots of other track out there.
Tracks SHOULD pay the insurance.
These guys put their lives and limbs on the line multiple time every day, while the morons upstairs have only a few thing to do- ignore their customer, mis-time races, and falsely report odd during races.

Especially when many are on welfare from the casinos.
Fair is fair, jocks pay their own insurance if track pay their own way.

You know, we only need a handful of tracks to have a much better game than we have ever had before. Start by weeding out the "takers" that suck the money from casino to survive.

Serious? That's a strange way of looking at things. Perhaps they could also demand a six course dinner every night after the races.

So when the contractor comes to work on your roof, risking life and limb, you should pay for his insurance?

If jocks want the benefits of being employees, then they should be employees. If they want to be private contractors, then they have to pay their own bills. What you think of the guys in the exec offices has nothing to do with this. And for the record, NYRA jocks and backside employees get far more taken out of owner accounts to pay for insurance, pensions, and other benefits than any other track in the country, along with a higher flat rate for rides.

Sorry, when you come back with something obviously stupid, I don't want to play your games. This not remotely comparable to jockey riding horses and track depending on them for the racing product.

TTTH.

They can't. On the other hand, there are superstars in my profession who make similar demands, and get it. And there are certainly superstars in the entertainment industry who make similar demands and get it.

The point is, the jockeys have a certain amount of leverage because there are a limited supply of skilled little people who are willing to risk their lives on horses. This allows them to bargain for compensation. Given that, it doesn't matter who, in principle, should pay for any particular line item. The only thing that matters is who has the leverage.

One side will cave, and everything will get back to normal. That's how these things usually work out.

Don't sweat it...:lol:

And if we miss a few days of racing in the dead of winter because of it, no big deal.

It's not stupid. It's a similar scenario.

The track depends on a lot of people to make racing go. Should they be responsible for the mortality coverage on the horses? The insurance for the trainers, grooms, hotwalkers, and exercise riders?

The way this normally works of course is that the employer pays for benefits such as health insurance, if they provide health insurance at all. The tracks aren't there employers. The jockeys are self-employed so in the normal world they would pay their own health insurance if they choose to carry it.

What must be happening is that they are signing liability waivers, reducing the cost to the track for its liability coverage, in exchange for providing some insurance coverage.

For 2017 the jockey insurance we paid as owners is $1500(most likely the same in 2018), no matter if you had one start or 20. The costs of racing in NY are high but the purses are also well worth it. We do not pay this fee in Florida, NJ, Ohio, Ky, Pa, Wv or Md.

The guy fixing my roof is charging ME to do it.
I pay for his insurance through the his fees.
Jockey do not charge the tracks to race at them.

Not remotely similar.

I'm done.

No, they charge the owners. That's why it's even more absurd that the tracks are supposedly paying their insurance. Of course, as I pointed out earlier regarding NYRA fees and now Onefast too, it's (as always) the owner who ultimately pays.

After two nights they wouldn't make the weight. :lol:

"So when the contractor comes to work on your roof, risking life and limb, you should pay for his insurance?"
You are. The contractor factors in their costs to the price charged to the customer. The customer just doesn't see it.