Union voting on Atlantic City casino strike authorization

Atlantic City officials say it will be Thursday at the earliest before the former Revel casino resort can get permission to reopen.

“But it was shocking to me several months ago, when talking to workers at Caesars (properties) and Tropicana, at the level of militancy of the membership”, McDevitt said.

Atlantic City’s main casino workers union has authorized a strike against five of the city’s eight casinos on July 1 if contracts aren’t reached with them before then.

Straub plans to reopen its casino as well, but he estimates that might not take place until late August.

Local 54 of the Unite-HERE union is voting Thursday on whether to authorize a strike against most of the city’s casinos. The union previously authorized a strike against the Trump Taj Mahal. It also says many of its workers rely on public assistance, such as government-subsidized health insurance and food stamps.

“With over $160 million invested at Tropicana Atlantic City since 2011, our employees have benefited from increased hours, increased gratuities, and job security while 33 percent of the market’s 12 casinos have been forced to close and thousands have lost their jobs”, Rodio said.

Management hopes to avoid a strike. Results should be available later Thursday evening. He said he would announce the new name Thursday or Friday.

More than 6,000 casino workers could walk off the job during Atlantic City’s busiest holiday weekend of the year.

There are signs of improvement at the eight that remain, however.

Ruthann Joyce directs members of Local 54 of the Unite-HERE union to a voting room, Thursday June 16, 2016, in Atlantic City.

UNITE believes that the remaining casinos are in good enough financial shape that a strike won’t put them out of business.

Even if the union votes yes, it would not walk out immediately. “We made a lot of concessions in 2011, and now they have the audacity not to want to give anything back”. “They want to give themselves incentives and bonuses, but don’t want to give anything back to the union workers?” she asked. “They can afford to give us what’s fair”. Average pay has been stagnant for a decade while the top hourly wage has risen just 80 cents an hour, he says.

“I couldn’t support my family on that”, she said. Her husband also works at Bally’s. Despite the name, Donald Trump no longer runs or owns that casino; instead it just leases the Trump name.

Billionaire Carl Icahn owns the Trump Taj Mahal and a majority of the Tropicana, while the Apollo Group controls Caesars, Harrah’s and Bally’s.

The Trump Taj Mahal and Tropicana were both purchased out of bankruptcy in recent years.