For Release: Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Casino workers hail National Labor Relations Board ruling to overturn unfair election result

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Casino workers in Atlantic City said today that a decision by a federal labor board judge to overturn an unfair election vote is "right on the money."

"The judge got this one exactly right," Mario Spina, a Trump Marina dealer, said of the ruling by U.S. National Labor Relations Board Administrative Law Judge Earl E. Shamwell. "The company broke all kinds of rules and interfered with our right to vote -- and we're not going to allow them to get away with it."

Full- and part-time casino dealers, as well as dual-rate supervisors, keno and simulcast employees, and slot techs at four major Atlantic City casino properties voted last year to join the UAW, including workers at Caesars, Trump Plaza, Bally's and Tropicana.

The votes in favor of unionization were by strong majorities, with two-thirds or more workers voting in favor of UAW representation.

Union supporters narrowly lost a vote at Trump Marina on May 11, 2007, by only eight votes. According to a finding of fact by Shamwell, the election was tainted by illegal behavior by Trump Marina management and supervisors, including:

-- Interrogation of employees about their union sympathies.

-- Threats of retaliation against union supporters.

-- Threats that workers would lose their jobs if a majority supported joining the UAW.

In response to the employer's illegal actions, Shamwell recommended that the May 11, 2007, election be set aside and a new election be held.

"Whether casino owners like it or not, workers want to organize," said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. "The law is clearly on our side in this case -- and workers are going to stand together and win the contracts they deserve in Atlantic City."

"It's just plain wrong to interrogate and threaten working people when we stand up for our basic rights," said Joe Ashton, director of UAW Region 9, which includes New Jersey, as well as parts of Pennsylvania and New York.

"This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated anywhere -- especially not in Atlantic City, where gaming has been a union industry from day one."

"What we're seeing, unfortunately, is a pattern of illegal behavior by casino operators," said UAW Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth Bunn, who directs the union's casino organizing campaigns. "At Trump Marina, the company interfered with the basic right to vote. At other properties, management is refusing to bargain in good faith, even though our election majority has been certified by the NLRB. And in still other cases, they're using old-fashioned stalling tactics.

"None of their attempts to undermine democracy in the workplace will succeed. Casino workers are united, with strong support from our union, the labor movement and community leaders."

Thousands of casino workers, UAW members, trade unionists, political leaders and community supporters marched in Atlantic City on June 21 in support of the UAW campaign for fair contracts.

The UAW, one of the nation's largest and most diverse labor unions, represents more than 8,800 casino workers in Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey and Rhode Island.