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UAW
CASINO WORKERS RATIFY HISTORIC AGREEMENT
Friday, 29 January 2010 22:48
NORWICH, Conn. — Members of UAW at Foxwoods, Local 2121
have ratified
the first union contract under tribal law in the nation
with 75% voting in favor. Just over 1,400 of the 2,500
dealers at Foxwoods and MGM Grand voted Friday for the
groundbreaking two-year agreement with the Mashantucket
Pequot Gaming Enterprise d/b/a Foxwoods Resort.
“We worked hard to get dealers a fair contract,” said
Yan Mei Shi, a 6 ˝ year dealer. “Dealers deserve job
stability and fair treatment on the job, and this
agreement is a great advancement.” Elizabeth Bunn, UAW
secretary-treasurer said, “Dealers across the country
have been watching this process and we are confident
that this agreement will serve as an inspiration to
them.
We look forward to
working with the dealers at Foxwoods and MGM and dealers
at other tribal casinos interested in improving their
working conditions through a collective voice on the
job.” The contract provides an average 12 percent
wage increase over two years, preserves benefits, and
improves job safety and security.
“We are so
pleased. We put a stop to the erosion of full-time jobs
and fought to make sure more people have jobs with
benefits,” added Denise Gladue, a 15-year dealer. “There
are a lot of safety issues like arm and shoulder
injuries from dealing. This contract is the first step
to address that and many other issues.”
The contract
creates what the union calls “an industry model” for job
safety, including programs to reduce repetitive stress
injuries, a major extension of medical leave time for
workers out with serious illnesses for more than six
months, and a unique 24-table “smoke-free pit” to help
workers vulnerable to second-hand smoke and provide
customers with a smoke-free haven.
UAW Region 9A Director Bob Madore said, “These workers
stuck together for over three years and it shows if you
have the determination to win, it can happen, and
workers united can succeed. The bargaining committee and
dealers should be applauded for their perseverance in
accomplishing a collective bargaining agreement under
tribal law. This is an historical achievement.”
“We will work wholeheartedly to let people know that
this is a great place to come for a union-friendly,
worker-friendly gaming experience,” Madore added. The
UAW now represents gaming employees at four casinos in
Atlantic City and three in Detroit, and has made a
commitment to helping dealers in casinos across the
country come together to improve wage and benefit
standards. The union has more dealers under contract
than any other union in the country.
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