Casinos

Government Action Removes Threat to Catskills Region

ALBANY (January 4, 2008) – The people of the Catskills and New York State won a major victory today when U.S. Interior Department Secretary Dirk Kempthorne rejected the proposed casinos in Monticello and by the Neversink River. The federal government’s action closes the door on development projects that would have drastically overburdened the Catskills region with severe traffic congestion, pollution, and sprawl.    » read more »

December 20, 2007 -- TALLAHASSEE, FL – Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today released the following statement regarding a lawsuit to be filed by the Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the State of Florida. The lawsuit seeks an injunction against the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior to prevent him from publishing and making effective the Florida compact on expanded gambling which is currently in litigation before the Florida Supreme Court.    » read more »

December 4, 2007 -- "These contentions by Foxwoods seem flawed and futile. Their main legal complaint disputing application of federal labor laws has already been soundly and repeatedly rejected by the NLRB and the courts. Their grab bag collection of grievances seems contrived and unsupported. The overwhelming vote in favor of union representation fatally undercuts complaints about technical issues, even if true. We will review these objections and respond in depth as the proceeding goes forward.    » read more »

November 29, 2007 -- Chicago – The Illinois Supreme Court today sustained the Illinois Gaming Board's (IGB) December 2005 order revoking Emerald Casino's license to operate a casino in Rosemont. On May 30, 2007, in a 152-page ruling, the Illinois Appellate Court, Fourth District, in Springfield , affirmed the Gaming Board's revocation order. Today, the Illinois Supreme Court denied Emerald's request to review the Appellate Court's decision. The Supreme Court's action makes the revocation order final, unless it grants a petition for reconsideration.    » read more »

First District Appellate Court Says Emerald Casino License Remains Revoked, Despite Statutory Renewal

November 26, 2007 -- Chicago – The Illinois Appellate Court, First District in Chicago today ruled that its June 2006 decision requiring the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) to renew the casino operator's license of Emerald Casino, Inc. for four years did not nullify the IGB's December 2005 order revoking that license. That order by the IGB found that Emerald repeatedly violated Illinois law governing casino operators.    » read more »

November 21, 2007 -- "This ruling is major victory for worker rights, clearing the way for Saturday's union election and affirming the NLRB's jurisdiction over tribal casinos. The NLRB rightly rejected Foxwoods' desperate, last ditch attempt to delay this vital unionization vote, as well as its baseless and bogus claim that federal labor laws do not apply.    » read more »

Will Urge NLRB To Reject Request

November 19, 2007 -- "I urge the NRLB to reject Foxwoods' abrupt and appalling attempt to deny Foxwoods dealers their long-scheduled and eagerly anticipated unionization vote. Foxwoods' eleventh hour demand for a delay of Saturday's election is unfair and unconscionable. Management could have requested this stay weeks ago, instead of throwing up a last minute roadblock.    » read more »

November 19, 2007 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has filed a brief opposing Foxwoods Resort Casino's appeal of a recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decision allowing dealers to vote on unionization.

Foxwoods appealed the NLRB regional director's decision to the full board.

The NLRB ordered the vote based on an earlier board decision, NLRB vs. San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino -- upheld by a federal appeals court -- that federal labor laws apply to tribal commercial ventures, including casinos.    » read more »

23 Charged, Including 6 Casino Employees, In Ring That Took in $22 Million Since 2006

November 14, 2007 -- ATLANTIC CITY – New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram, New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Rick Fuentes and Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced that criminal charges were filed this morning against the leader and 22 other participants in a multi-million dollar sports bookmaking ring that operated inside the Borgata Hotel Casino poker room and took in more than $22 million in bets since March 2006. Six casino employees were charged.    » read more »

Tuesday, November 13, 2007, DETROIT - The Detroit Casino Council and Greektown Casino yesterday reached a tentative agreement on a new contract.

“The bargaining committee has delivered a contract that will benefit Greektown workers, the casino and the community," said UAW Vice President Jimmy Settles, who directs servicing operations for the union’s Technical, Office and Professionals Department. "This agreement recognizes the value and contributions of these hard-working service workers and gives them a solid contract as the casino prepares to expand.”    » read more »

Tuesday, November 06, 2007, HARTFORD – The NLRB scheduled the union election for Foxwoods casino dealers for Saturday, November 24th. Foxwoods casino dealers reacted positively that their election will be held in accordance with federal labor laws.

“The casino dealers are so excited to move forward,” said Mary Johnson, a 14-year Table Games dealer at Foxwoods. “A super-majority of us signed cards, and now we’ll have the opportunity to cast our ballots to vote yes for our union.”    » read more »

Tuesday, October 30, 2007, DETROIT -- Workers at MGM Grand Casino Hotel have ratified a new four-year labor agreement, with 53 percent of workers voting in favor of the agreement.    » read more »

Labor Relations Board upholds union organizing win at Bally’s

Wednesday, October 24, 2007, ATLANTIC CITY – Casino workers won two more significant union organizing victories here this week as part of a growing movement for union rights in the workplace.

On Oct. 22, 90 percent of slot techs at the Tropicana Casino voted for union representation. This will be the second UAW bargaining unit at Tropicana; 80 percent of full- and part-time dealers and dual rate workers voted in favor of union representation on Aug. 25.    » read more »

Thursday, October 25, 2007, DETROIT – The Detroit Casino Council and MGM Grand Casino yesterday reached a tentative agreement on a new contract.

“This contract represents a lot of hard work and solidarity on the part of our bargaining committee at MGM," said UAW Vice President Jimmy Settles, who directs servicing operations for the union’s Technical, Office and Professionals Department. "They were clear on the membership’s objectives, and they were able to achieve them in these negotiations. It’s a great agreement that will benefit workers, the casino and the community.”    » read more »

Wednesday, October 24, 2007, HARTFORD, CONN. – This afternoon the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that casino dealers at Foxwoods have the right to a union representation election.

“We’re thrilled with the NLRB decision to hold an election for Foxwoods dealers,” said Jacqueline Little, a 15-year poker dealer at Foxwoods. “We’re ready for a change. Without a union, management makes all the decisions, all of the time. When we win our union election, we will have a say,” Little added.    » read more »