UPDATE: Unite Here! Local 54 members voted to authorize a strike on July 1 if they don’t have a “fair contract”.
By Brenda Flanagan
Correspondent
How angry are the workers?
“They’re very angry. They’re very angry,” said Elaine Molloy.
Molloy voted to strike. After serving cocktails at Bally’s for 25 years — and after agreeing to givebacks when Atlantic City’s gaming industry tanked in 2011 — Molloy and other casino workers here want a fair deal.
“The casinos are doing very well right now. And they have come back up from the turmoil that we’ve dealt with in the past and now they have to show their workers, how much their workers mean to them,” she said.
“I think that we have to fight and we are going to fight until the end,” said Harrah’s Housekeeper Irma Dominguez.
Tensions are high. With some 6,000 members of the Unite Here! Local 54 casino employees union working without a contract, today’s strike authorization vote could impact Bally’s, Caesar’s, Tropicana and Harrah’s. Local 54 already OKed a strike at the Taj Mahal. Workers want a raise, secure benefits and to regain concessions.
“Vacation pay was given up, overtime rules were changed, personal time was given up. It amounts to about $1,500 per worker, per year. That needs to be reinstated immediately, because the properties are doing far better today,” said Unite Here! Local 54 President Bob McDevitt.
Negotiations continue. Casino reaction? Tropicana says, “…since 2011 our employees have benefited from increased hours, increased gratuities and job security…” Caesar’s notes, “Our goal remains to negotiate a fair resolution to keep our employees at work for their sake…”
“The future of the workforce in Atlantic City is really what’s at stake here,” McDevitt said.
The strike deadline’s July 1 — the peak of the summer season. Meanwhile, at the boardwalk’s northern end, Glenn Straub’s still unopened Revel glistened in the rain. Gaming officials will decide tomorrow whether to issue the permits it needs to reopen.
The casino union does support the No North Jersey Casinos Coalition, which mobilized this week to fight expanded gaming in North Jersey. The coalition commissioned a recent study that showed two casinos up north would cannibalize Atlantic City’s market — forcing three to five casinos here to close and costing 30,000 jobs.
“You know, adding two North Jersey casinos would suck the life right out of Atlantic City,” said Resorts Casino Hotel President and CEO Mark Giannantonio.
Can he imagine this boardwalk with four casinos?
“I think it would be pretty scary,” he said. “The end game is going to be something that I don’t think anybody in the state would be proud of.”
“Our proposal for North Jersey casinos would assist AC in developing non-gaming activities and also revive the gaming business for the state and bring additional dollars and and jobs to the economy. So I think they’re on the wrong track,” said Assemblyman Ralph Caputo.
But the coalition plans a formidable campaign.
“We’re from South Jersey, and we’re here to fight,” said No North Jersey Casinos Coalition Chairwoman Debra DiLorenzo.
Current casino operators like Resorts are hoping they can convince North Jersey voters not to bet on expanded gaming, Glenn Straub is hoping he can open Revel by next week and everyone is hoping that negotiations can help avoid a casino strike.