Mayor Robert Van Campen and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey stood on a stage at the Encore Boston Harbor picket line on Saturday, October 24, as the strike by about 1,300 casino workers passed the seven-week mark. Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson was there too, and union members from other states joined the line, which formed at noon at 1 Broadway. “You want to go back to work to provide for your families with a fair wage, secure healthcare, job security, and dignity for what you do,” Van Campen told the workers, according to the city, which said he supports the workers’ right to strike and urged both sides to keep talking toward a negotiated contract.
“This is a casino owned by people out of Las Vegas. They’re making millions. All these workers want are fair wages and health care for their families here in Boston,” Markey said, Boston 25 reported.
Where the strike stands
Housekeepers, cooks, servers, slot attendants and other workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 walked out at 7 a.m. on September 4 after their contract with Wynn Resorts expired August 31. Local 26 President Carlos Aramayo told NBC10 Boston on the first day that the unions want raises matching the downtown hotels, their health insurance and pension kept whole, and job security at the property. “The difference right now is about three bucks an hour,” Local 26 Executive Vice President Laura Moye said then. The unions have asked the public not to gamble, eat or stay at the casino while the strike lasts.
Encore told Boston 25 on Saturday that it has put an offer on the table and is waiting for the unions to respond. In September the company said union wages and benefits at the casino grew nearly 40 percent over the past four years while revenue grew 2 percent, and that it wants a deal that is “fair, financially sustainable and protects employees in the long-term.”
The strike is showing up in the state’s numbers. Encore’s gaming revenue for September fell 22 percent from a year earlier, according to Massachusetts Gaming Commission figures reported by Boston.com. The Boston City Council passed a resolution asking people not to dine, meet or stay at the casino during the strike. Van Campen walked the picket line in the strike’s first week as well.
No bargaining date had been announced as of Tuesday.