Atlantic City Casino Union Drops AFL-CIO Membership Over Smoking Saga

Posted on: September 5, 2024, 11:29h. 

Last updated on: September 5, 2024, 12:42h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More

Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

An Atlantic City casino representing table game dealers at Bally’s, Caesars, and Tropicana says it’s rescinding its membership in the AFL-CIO after the national group didn’t support its efforts to ban indoor smoking.

The AFL-CIO, or American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, represents both leading casino unions in Atlantic City. The United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9 represents Atlantic City table game dealers at the three aforementioned properties, while Unite Here Local 54 represents nongaming workers at all nine casinos in town.

UAW Region 9 Director Daniel Vicente Jr. revealed to NPR on Wednesday that the union’s New Jersey chapter will terminate its AFL-CIO membership after the national trade federation worked against its efforts to extinguish indoor casino smoking in Atlantic City.

I cannot express how furious our institution is at the New Jersey state-level AFL and the other unions that filed an injunction status against us,” Vicente said. “This is a moral, health, and safety issue.”

In April, the UAW helped casino workers file a lawsuit against the State of New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy (D), and NJ Health Commissioner Kaitlan Baston challenging the state’s permittance of casino smoking in designated areas. The lawsuit alleged that casino workers’ rights to personal safety in the workplace were being violated. 

Union Bickering

While the UAW wants casino smoking banned to protect its table game union members, Unite Here doesn’t. Local 54 represents resort workers employed as housekeepers, servers, bartenders, kitchen staff, bellmen, and porters. The Unite Here chapter believes a smoking ban would lead to reduced gaming revenue and threaten some 3,000 jobs.

“A total smoking ban would place thousands of jobs at risk, endangering the wages, health, welfare benefits, and retirement benefits of Local 54 members and their families,” the union wrote in the Superior Court filing.

Superior Court Judge Patrick Bartels ultimately ruled in the casinos’ favor on grounds that the state’s smoking carveout for casinos doesn’t violate workers’ protections under the New Jersey Constitution.

Vicente took issue with the AFL-CIO not supporting the UAW’s efforts to provide safe workplaces for its members.

That organization has been actively undermining our efforts to protect the health and safety of our members,” Vicente declared.

The AFL-CIO says on its website that it brings together 60 national and international unions to collectively bargain on behalf of their 12.5 million members for better pay and benefits, worker rights, workplace health and safety, and gender equality.

Casino Smoking Debate 

Anti-smoking opponents in New Jersey aren’t buying what Unite Here and the nine casinos are selling in claiming a tobacco ban would lead to gaming revenue declines. They point to nearby Philadelphia where Parx Casino just north of the city is the top gaming revenue generator among Pennsylvania’s 17-casino industry.

Unite Here Local 54 President Donna DeCaprio, who celebrated Bartels’ ruling, said the union “has been instrumental in creating a safer environment for both workers and customers” and “will continue to focus on solutions that both improve workers’ safety and protect their jobs.”