Potential July strike for Atlantic City casino workers
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The Local 54 branch of the Unite Here trade union has voted in favor of authorizing a full-blown strike against the city's collection of nine casinos. 96% of those who voted voted to give the union's negotiating committee the right to call a strike next month if no progress on desired ‘significant’ salary increases be reached.
Bob McDevitt leads the Local 54 arm of the Unite Here union. He reports that 'several thousand' people employed by Atlantic City's casinos voted in the strike ballot. His organization has the authority to okay a walk-out at MGM Resorts International’s 2,767-room Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa venue, Caesars Atlantic. City Hotel and Casino, Tropicana Atlantic, and Harrah's Resort Atlantic are among the casinos that could be affected by the walkout.
The Local 54 leadership has already inked deals with the owner of the 1,400-room Ocean Casino Resort, Ilitch Holdings Incorporated and Bally’s Corporation. The New Jersey venues are likely set to avoid strike action as they have agreed to abide by the terms of any contracts with Caesars Entertainment Inc. and MGM Resorts International.
The vote on whether to strike was held two weeks after Local 54 members began picketing outside Caesars Entertainment Incorporated’s Tropicana Atlantic City property. The workers are purportedly angry that casinos in Atlantic city are continuing to post improving revenues in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic while rising inflation is eating away at their own purchasing power.
New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement reports that Atlantic City casinos made $4.2 billion last year. The properties have long argued that their online casino and sportsbetting revenue streams are not what they seem due to the fact that they are only allowed to pocket about 30% of any proceeds.
