Workers at Atlantic City casinos vote to strike

Unionized workers from five Atlantic City casinos have voted to authorize a strike, setting up a labor fight that could potentially paralyze a storied East Coast tourist hub with the peak summer travel season underway. On Wednesday, Unite Here Local 54 announced that 96% of workers from five of the city’s classic casinos cast votes to authorize a strike. 

Workers from Caesars, Tropicana, Harrah’s, Borgata and Hard Rock have joined in the vote and the union plans to return to the negotiation table. However, the strike authorization shows that workers are prepared to walk out if there is no agreement set up by the July 1st deadline. According to a union representative, a strike would affect around 10,000 workers. This makes up a sizable chunk of the city's hospitality workforce. 

A spokesperson for the casino association of New Jersey has referred questions to the individual casinos and noted that the strike is a property-by-property issue. This strike authorization by the workers is the latest to emerge from a reinvigorated labor movement. For the last 18 months, unions have been pressing for better contract terms. Meanwhile, rising prices for essential items food, gasoline and rent have put more pressure on employers to help workers meet their cost of living. 

Source: The Washington Post