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Some 1,030 dealers and simulcast employees at the Tropicana Casino & Resort Atlantic City in Atlantic City, N.J., are scheduled to vote Aug. 25 on representation by the United Auto Workers, according to National Labor Relations Board Region 4.
More than 60 percent of the full- and part-time dealers eligible to vote have signed petition cards indicating their interest in union representation, Kevin Donovan, assistant regional director for UAW Region 9, said Aug. 1.
The UAW organizing campaign, which began in November, has focused on the traditional issues of pay and benefits, but when the casino was acquired by another company earlier this year, workers' concerns expanded, Donovan told BNA.
Following the purchase of Tropicana's parent company by Columbia Sussex Corp. in January, employee layoffs and cutbacks led to increased responsibilities and "doubling-up" of duties without increases in pay, according to Donovan.
"People are fed up, and they want a say. Nothing is negotiated, so they are starting to band together," he said.
Dealers in Atlantic City typically earn $4.50 per hour plus tips as starting pay that increases to a top hourly rate of $8.50 plus tips, Donovan said.
As part of a citywide UAW organizing drive in Atlantic City, the Tropicana election will be the fifth among dealers since mid-March. Some 2,293 dealers have voted for UAW representation in the three elections won by the union.
In a March 17 election, dealers at Caesars voted 572-128 for UAW representation (53 DLR A-1, 3/20/07) and March 31 dealers at Trump Plaza voted 324-149 for the union ((63 DLR A-8, 4/3/07) ). Dealers at Bally's Atlantic City voted June 2-3 for UAW representation (107 DLR A-6, 6/5/07 ). Trump Plaza has filed objections to that election, but an administrative law judge June 29 overruled the objections and recommended that UAW be certified to represent the dealers (129 DLR A-7, 7/6/07 ).
The union was rejected by dealers at two other Atlantic City casinos. Dealers at Trump Marina voted 183-175 against representation (93 DLR A-1, 5/15/07) , while those at Hilton voted 316-268 against UAW representation (103 DLR A-8, 5/30/07 ). UAW has filed objections to those elections.
A Tropicana representative was not available for comment.
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