Atlantic City Casino Smoking Dilemma Has Unions at Odds

Posted on: December 3, 2024, 10:01h. 

Last updated on: December 3, 2024, 10:14h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Two unions in Atlantic City that represent casino employees, but which have greatly differing opinions on whether indoor tobacco use should be allowed, are fuming about the controversial issue.

Atlantic City casino smoking union
Gamblers in a smoking section at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City play slot machines in October 2024. The ongoing allowance of indoor smoking inside Atlantic City casinos has two unions clashing. (Image: AP)

Unite Here Local 54 represents nongaming workers at the nine resorts down the shore. Its members are employed in various roles such as housekeepers, bartenders, waitstaff, cooks, bellmen, doormen, and other service jobs.

Local 54 President Donna DeCaprio thinks cigarettes and cigars should remain on the gaming floors. Her position is that a smoking ban would keep some gamblers away, perhaps taking their gaming money to casinos in nearby Philadelphia. DeCaprio’s stance is shared by the Atlantic City casinos, which argue a smoking prohibition would lead to a gaming revenue reduction and cost thousands of jobs.

United Auto Workers Region 9, which represents gaming-facing employees like table game dealers — workers who are presumably at a higher risk of danger because of secondhand smoke exposure — contends employee health should outweigh casino profits.

Unions Butt Heads

Democratic New Jersey lawmakers, possessing majorities in both chambers of the state legislature as well as the governor’s office, have held off on passing legislation to amend the state’s 2006 Smokefree Air Act that allows casinos to designate 25% of their floor space for tobacco smoking. Despite previous legislative sessions seeing smoking ban bills garner enough support in the General Assembly and Senate to pass the statutes, Democratic leaders stalled the measures on requests from the casinos.

The casinos, lobbying as the Casino Association of New Jersey, successfully petitioned Trenton’s power players to delay the antismoking bills to give them time to develop possible compromises. One idea is to build fully enclosed smoking rooms where only employees willing to work in such environments would spend their shifts.

The UAW, however, says with each passing day, thousands of workers who should have the same rights to a clean-air workplace see their health threatened. Ray Jensen, assistant director for Region 9, says DeCaprio needs to go.

She should be ashamed of herself,” Jensen told the Associated Press. “She should hand in her union card.”

DeCaprio has no plans to oblige.

A balance needs to be reached that will both protect worker health and preserve good jobs,” she countered. “We are protecting our members against multiple casino closures and job losses. The UAW is eager to sacrifice the entire casino industry and put 25K good jobs with benefits at risk.”

Local 54’s membership has declined considerably over the past decade. In 2011, the union counted 13,700 members. As of 2021, the union count was below 8,500.

Region 9 represents dealers at Caesars, Bally’s, and Tropicana. Other casino employees repped by the UAW include slot technicians and attendants, poker clerks, cashiers, and hosts.

AC Cooling 

Atlantic City casino profits dropped almost 14% in the third quarter to $236.6 million. Only two properties — Hard Rock and Caesars — reported higher year-over-year results.

All nine casinos remained profitable through nine months of 2024, though combined profits slid over 9% to $546.9 million. Brick-and-mortar gaming revenue totaled $2.15 billion, a 0.9% decline.

iGaming and online sports betting continue to keep the nine casinos afloat and bridge the continuing slowing of in-person gaming.