Crossposted from unbossed
Yesterday I diaried about an important victory for unions in North Carolina. A follow up discussing its implications is at unbossed now and will be posted on Kos later this week as I work through my one diary a day quota.
But there is more joy.
This past week saw the second UAW victory in its campaign to organize dealers in Atlantic City casinos. This victory came despite desperate attempts by the so-called Right To Work Legal Defense Foundation to stop workers from voting. More below.
First, this is not an impoverished industry. In 2006, the gaming industry posted a record $1.4 billion in gross operating profits, had double-digit growth at 4 of 12 casinos, and saw earnings rise 5 percent for the year. link
This is a fast-moving union organizing campaign.
On March 17, dealers at Caesars Atlantic City voted in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election 572-128 in favor of UAW representation.
Less than two weeks later, on March 30, dealers at Trump Marina Hotel and Casino filed an NLRB election petition. That election has not yet been held. If the UAW wins it will be the third Atlantic City casino it has organized this year.
The day after, on March 31, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino workers vote 324-149 in an NLRB election to become part of the UAW. The bargaining unit includes "table game dealers, dual-rate dealers and dual-rate supervisors. Dealers’ issues include low pay, meager health benefits, no seniority rights and poor treatment on the job." link
The UAW did not win these elections with management cooperation. In fact, management made its opposition clear. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer:
An executive at Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc., which owns Trump Plaza and two other casinos in Atlantic City, said management had been meeting with dealers to come up with a long-term plan.
"We have had very positive dialogue with our dealers," said Mark Juliano, chief operating officer for Trump Entertainment. "We believe that they are well-informed and are keenly aware of the distinct differences between their situation and the dealers at Caesars.
"We believe our dealers fully understand that the UAW does not provide them with any real solutions to an improved working environment," Juliano said. "Like any employee, our dealers hope for and are working for a better future. We share that hope and are committed to making it happen."
The casino owners had help from management's shadow army, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation. They had tried to block the election and prevent casino workers from being able to vote. link
On April Fools Day, unbossed "honored" the NRTW folks with a look at what they really do. Even though the post was a spoof, what it says about this slimy group is true. When you hear the NRTW and its allies talking about worker rights, remember that they tried to stop an election when it looked as if the workers would vote union.
UAW reaction
The UAW is clearly pleased and on a roll. Joe Ashton, the UAW Regional Director of UAW Region 9 [New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York] told the Inquirer:
They want to have the opportunity to enter into collective bargaining.
It gives the dealers the leverage to negotiate a contract that would be beneficial to them and their families," he said.
In other words, solidarity matters. Level of organization matters to union success. Rising union wages and better working conditions will improve the lives of these workers and their families and can also promote better working conditions throughout that region.
What this campaign and victories mean
We can see the impact of falling unionization rates everywhere. When unions were a powerful counterforce to corporations, we had a real middle class and executives whose pay was higher but not at the obscene rates we see today.
One dealer underlined this point in the Inquirer interview:
"A lot of people are going to vote 'yes,' to unionize," Pinglee Wong, 51, said after voting. He's been a table games dealer at the Trump Plaza for 20 years. "We feel we can get something better.
"We don't want to lose more money in benefits and wages," he said. "We want more security for our jobs."
Terrace Loper, also 51 and a dealer for 18 years at Trump Plaza and the Atlantic City Hilton Casino, said dealers often make less than minimum wage and earn most of their income from tips.
She said that by joining a union, "we can at least negotiate for things that rightfully are ours, like medical benefits. It's only fair."