Don't Play Games with Atlantic City Casino Dealers

New Gaming Workers Council Launches Website, Ads

The new Gaming Workers Council brings together four of the nation's largest labor unions to put the combined force of 15 million union members behind casino unionization drives across the country. The Transport Workers Union (TWU) Gaming Division, SEIU, UAW and AFL-CIO are standing together on behalf of workers in the casino industry, concentrating on jump-starting stalled contract talks in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Detroit and Connecticut.

The Council's very first order of business is support for ongoing contract campaigns for casino dealers in Atlantic City. It was two years ago that casino dealers at Caesars voted to become members of the UAW/Atlantic City Dealers Union...yet there is still no deal. Members began running radio and newspaper ads this week in the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Press of Atlantic City, to inform the public of their struggle. The ads coincide with the launch of a new website, http://FairDealForACDealers.org, which chronicles the workers' campaign and requests casino workers to submit their stories.

The UAW has won representation elections at four Atlantic City casinos (Trump Plaza, Bally's and Tropicana) but has not reached a contract with any of them after two years of bargaining.

Background from the website:

We have elected our bargaining committees; we are ready to work with the casinos to improve our jobs so we can keep providing the best possible service to our customers. But the companies are refusing to meet us halfway - either refusing to meet, or engaging in stalling tactics.

Under the Employee Free Choice Act, these casino workers would have been able to secure a contract by now. If after 90 days of bargaining an agreement cannot be reached, either side has the right to request federal mediation. If no agreement can be reached within 30 days with mediation, then binding arbitration determines the terms of the agreement. "We hope the power of persuasion will bring the casinos to the bargaining table, but if it takes the persuasion of power to bring these workers justice, we will be by their side," said SEIU President Andy Stern.

"With everybody joining together, we'll be stronger than ever. We're going to win good contracts in Atlantic City and move on to help casino workers all over the country," said Sharon Masino, a member of the UAW/AC Dealers Union and a casino dealer at Caesars in Atlantic City.