After a Fourth of July weekend strike was averted in most Atlantic City casinos through the signature new agreements, workers at the Golden Nugget and Resorts casinos -the only two yet to produce new deals with their employees in the popular New Jersey destination- are now weighing the possibility of a strike as they prepare to resume negotiations with management.
Through a statement, Unite Here Local 54 announced it has set a July 30 strike deadline. The action was authorized Tuesday by 97% of the workers at the two casinos, according to the union. Workers seek significant raises to cope with the growing inflation.
A steady flow of people gathered in the union hall on Atlantic Avenue to cast their vote. Members are ready to go on strike, if needed, in order to get a deal similar to one ratified last week by members who worked at five of the biggest casinos in the city.
THE VOTES ARE IN: Hundreds of casino workers cast ballots today and 97% have voted in favor of authorizing the worker bargaining committee to call a strike if an agreement is not reached with Golden Nugget and Resorts by July 30th! pic.twitter.com/lgHt6BkqWW
— UNITE HERE Local 54 (@UHLocal54) July 19, 2022
More than 9,000 workers across the board have received pay raises in the deals reached with managers at the Borgata, Caesar’s, Hard Rock, Harrah’s and Tropicana. Workers at Bally’s and Ocean Casino Resort are also covered by the deal through “me-too agreements” the union has accepted. About 99% of workers who voted in ratification elections approved the new pacts.
The agreements already achieved in other venues give housekeeping employees a raise of $18 hourly, which will later escalate to $22 per hour at the end of the four-year contract. The deals also fully fund family health care and pension plans, include new language for job protection, and bring improvements to housekeeping workloads.
While representatives from Golden Nugget have yet not commented on the potential strike, Mark Giannantonio, president and CEO of Resorts Casino Hotel told WHYY that the strike authorization vote “has been the strategy of Local 54 Union Leadership” prior to negotiations, and that the casino is “eagerly awaiting to meet with the union and negotiate in good faith terms for an amicable deal.”
