ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - OCTOBER 1: Members of Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 54 picket on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in front of Caesars Hotel and Casino as they pass picket signs October 1, 2004 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Casino work ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Hundreds of Atlantic City casino workers picketed outside the Tropicana on Wednesday, as the union for employees at nine casinos is pushing for a new contract giving them a share of gambling halls' post-COVID recovery.The picketing comes at an uncertain time in Atlantic City: The casinos and their online partners are collectively making more money now than before the pandemic hit.But the casinos say those statistics are misleading because they get to keep only about 30% of online and sports betting money, with the rest going to their third-party partners.
They say that in-person revenue won from gamblers is the crucial metric, and not all the casinos have surpassed their pre-pandemic levels.The old contract between the casinos and Local 54 of the Unite Here union expired early Wednesday.
Union leaders and workers said they will demonstrate as often as necessary to show the casinos they’re serious about their demand that workers are able to make up ground as the casinos are trying to do so."We are united, we are ready to fight, and we have very specific asks in a new contract, number one of which is a raise that matters," said union president Bob McDevitt.