Atlantic City Casino Workers Testify About Labor Rights Violations

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/8820

Is Bally violating the rights of workers at their Atlantic City casino? Jesse Russell reports:

Dealers at Bally’s in Atlantic City testified in front of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission that the company is violating their rights to collectively bargain and abusing seniority rights. The National labor Relations Board had already ruled to prosecute Bally’s for their labor law violations and in the hearing the workers were asking for Bally’s to be monitored. The workers are represented by the United Auto Workers. Some of the other allegations levied at the commission hearing include forcing workers to attend unpaid meetings and failure to provide a safe working environment. The workers called on the commission to impose sanctions on the casino if the labor law violations do not cease.

Thousands of casino workers will crowd the Atlantic City boardwalks on June 21 demanding that casino owner’s bargain with the UAW. In March of 2007 thousands Casino workers at four casinos voted for union representation. The union alleges that the casino owners have been stalling contract negotiations.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

1. Thank you for posting this Steve

Tommorrow there will be a HUGE rally in AC in support of Casino Workers in our fight to gain first contracts (I work at one of the casinos involved). We are anticipating anywhere from 6000-10000 to attend.

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/06/19/elected-officials-join-casino-workers-fight-for-justice/

Elected Officials Join Casino Workers’ Fight For Justice

by James Parks, Jun 19, 2008


Casino workers in Atlantic City will receive some high-powered support this weekend, as Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and a bipartisan group of elected officials join workers and top union leaders in a major demonstration June 21 to demand that casino owners stop stalling and negotiate with the workers’ union.

--snip--

Since March 2007, more than 5,000 casino dealers, slot machine technicians and others have voted overwhelmingly to join the UAW in six union representation elections at four major Atlantic City casinos: Caesars, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Bally’s and Tropicana Casino and Resort. Yet, for more than a year, casino owners have delayed and stalled negotiations.

--snip--

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, who will speak at the rally, says the casino workers’ struggle is critical to saving our middle class:

I’ll be in Atlantic City on June 21, along with working men and women from throughout the country, because the freedom to form a union and bargain is the single most important ticket to the middle class for working men and women.

Lawmakers who will join Menendez, Sweeney, Gettelfinger and others at the rally include Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, as well as four members of the congressional delegation from New Jersey: Robert Andrews (D), Frank LoBiondo (R), Bill Pascrell (D) and Chris Smith (R).
Full Story at link


Union leaders who will be there with us include AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, UAW Secretary Treasurer Elizabeth Bunn, Fire Fighters President Harold Schaitberger, UFCW President Joe Hansen, IUPAT President Jimmy Williams and IATSE President Jim Short.

Edit: Menendez is a HUGE supporter of the EFCA.