EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The National Labor Relations Board has certified the results of a vote by Casino Aztar dealers and other gaming employees. Certification of the election, in which workers voted 106 to 59 to form a union, means they have the right to begin bargaining with support from their new union, the UAW.
Dealers’ concerns include health benefits, treatment on the job, pay and health and safety.
Casino Aztar’s owner, Columbia Sussex Corp., did not file objections to the election and is now legally obligated to bargain with workers over terms and conditions of employment.
“We’re looking forward to electing our bargaining committee and sitting down across the table form Columbia Sussex to negotiate a fair contract,” said Salli Rachley, a Casino Aztar employee for 12 years.
“Everyone is very excited about the election results,” said Patty Vanderkooy, a dual-rate dealer. “We’re united and ready to bargain.”
“The next step is for the employer to come to the bargaining table,” said William Mello, professor of labor studies at Indiana University, Kokomo. “If an employer refuses to bargain after an election has been certified, they are breaking the law.”
The UAW represents more than 8,000 gaming workers in Michigan, Indiana, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey.
