Bally’s casino dealers win UAW representation

A strong majority of casino dealers at Bally’s in Atlantic City voted in favor of UAW representation in a National Labor Relations Board-supervised election.

Full- and part-time dealers, dual-rate dealers, and keno and simulcast employees voted 628-255 in a June 2-3 election to become part of the union.

“We all came together for a big win, said Chun Zhu, a Bally’s dealer who was active in the organizing campaign. “We have workers born in countries from all over the world who work in the casino: China, Vietnam, Latin America, the USA. We speak many languages, but we had the same message: Vote yes for the union.”

“It’s another great victory for casino dealers in Atlantic City,” said Joe Ashton, director of UAW Region 9, which includes New Jersey, Pennsylvania and western New York. “We’re proud to have been able to support these workers secure a voice on the job, and we look forward to bargaining a contract that will address pay, benefits, job security and other issues.”

The vote at Bally’s follows successful organizing drives by casino dealers at Caesars, who voted to form their own union March 17, and at Trump Plaza on March 31.

“Bally’s tried as hard as they could to convince people to vote no,” said UAW Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth Bunn, who directs the union’s Technical, Office and Professional Organizing Department. “The election results make clear that casino dealers had their own collective goal: to join the union movement and negotiate an enforceable and binding contract. We welcome these workers to our union, and we’re ready to work together to secure a first agreement.”

Union supporters did not win a May 26 vote at Hilton Casino Resort or a May 11 vote at Trump Marina. The latter election is now the subject of objections filed May 17 before the National Labor Relations Board, due to widespread evidence of management misconduct.