Resorts Casino has reached an agreement with the casino workers union in Atlantic City. With this development, only one of the nine casinos in the city remains without a new labor agreement. Bob McDevitt, the union president, confirmed that Resorts agreed to the same economic terms as the other casinos.
The Deal Is Great According to the President of Resorts
Mark Giannantonio, the president of Resorts, spoke about the agreement and stated that it was great. He also added that the casino is thrilled for its employees as they have been working hard. Giannantonio noted that the casino is happy that the matter has been resolved and now, everyone can move forward.
According to the agreement, housekeeping employees will now earn $22/hour at the end of the 4-year contract.
Apart from the paycheck raises, fully-funded family healthcare, pension benefits, new technology protections, and language that increases work opportunity and job protection are also included, according to the union.
The union reached agreements with the other casinos just before the strike deadline in July. Interestingly enough, the labor agreements boosted casino stocks. Now, the only casino that remains without a labor agreement is Golden Nugget and workers are threatening a strike on July 30 if a deal is not reached.
The July 30 Strike Was Authorized by 97% Of the Workers
At the start of July, workers at both Golden Nugget and Resorts threatened to organize a strike if a deal is not reached with the union. Back then, a Resorts cocktail server, Ana De La Cruz, stated that she has only received one raise in 11 years.
However, the bad part about the raise is that it happened early in 2022 and it was eaten by inflation Cruz noted that the workers “are not making enough.”
Michelle DeLucca, who has worked as a server at Golden Nugget for 24 years, stated that she’s not fond of the idea of going on a strike, but if that’s what she has to do in order to receive a raise, she will do it.
So far, the deals reached with the other casinos in Atlantic City – Hard Rock, Harrah’s, Borgata, Tropicana, Caesars, and now, Resorts, have resulted in over 9,000 workers receiving significant pay raises.
Golden Nugget has a lot to lose with the strike if a deal is not reached. Just to compare, back in June, the union noted that Borgata could lose as much as $1.6 million per day if the workers strike. Caesars, Harrah’s, and Tropicana were facing the risk of losing around $1 million per day.
A survey conducted by the union earlier this year found that 61% of the 1,934 casino worker respondents were actually struggling to pay rent and 32% stated that they are struggling to afford food.