TURNING UP THE HEAT
Casino workers rally in Atlantic City, win new NLRB ruling
The heat is on in Atlantic City.
Thousands of casino workers – backed by UAW members and supporters from other unions and community groups – hit the streets of this New Jersey shorefront community on June 21.
The demonstration, which drew supporters from as far away as Maine and California, was called to support the campaign for fair contracts by workers in six bargaining units at four casinos: Bally's, Caesars, Tropicana and Trump Plaza.
Beginning in March 2007, workers at the four properties voted in favor of joining the UAW by strong majorities. But due to illegal tactics and some old-fashioned stalling at the bargaining table, none of the workers has a first contract agreement – yet.
The workers who rallied in Atlantic City are determined to change that.
"I want to let management know we really want a contract and we're not playing around," said Marilyn Bey, a casino dealer at Caesar's, as she watched marchers stream down Atlantic Avenue, the city's main thoroughfare. "All these people supporting us, it's wonderful. I just love it, I really do."
The crowd stopped traffic for several hours in front of the city's largest casinos, after hearing spirited speeches from UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, and other labor and community leaders.
"Instead of bargaining, they [the casinos] chose to fight," said Gettelfinger. "Well, the fight is on. We know how to fight … We're going to negotiate an equitable agreement, and we will not rest until that job is done."
"You made a choice, and all of us – a bipartisan group of politicians, people from all over this country – are here to say: "We stand with you, we'll fight with you. You have a right to a contract now!' "
In July workers at another casino, Trump Marina, won a favorable ruling from the Labor Board when Administrative Law Judge Earl Shamwell ruled that the illegal company tactics tainted a May 11, 2007, election which union supporters lost by only eight votes. He recommended the election be set aside and a new one ordered; Trump Marina has appealed.
"The judge got this one exactly right," says Mario Spina, a Trump Marina dealer. "The company broke all kinds of rules and interfered with our right to vote, and we're not going to allow them to get away with it."
"It's just plain wrong to interrogate and threaten working people when we stand up for our rights," said Joe Ashton, director of UAW Region 9, which includes New Jersey, as well as parts of Pennsylvania and New York. "This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated anywhere – especially not in Atlantic City, where gaming has been a union industry from day one."
