In Brief: Teamsters union members at Encore Boston Harbor have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike, signaling potential operational disruptions.
Teamsters Vote by 97% to Authorize Work Stoppage, Demand Fair Pay
Over 1,300 workers at Encore Boston Harbor, represented by Teamsters Local 25 and UNITE HERE Local 26, have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. Local 25 represents 211 workers in the warehouse, horticulture, and floral departments, as well as workers in the call center, cage cashiers, limo drivers and dispatchers, traffic attendants, valet and guest experience attendants at Encore.
“The workers at Encore Boston Harbor work hard and make the casino the financial success that it is,” said Tommy Blitsch, Director of the Teamsters Convention, Trade Show, and Casino Division. “Management’s failure to negotiate is leaving this group with no other choice but to head to the picket line. There is only one way this ends, with a fair agreement.”
“We’re proud of what we built at Encore, and we take pride in the work we do every day,” said Sem Avdic, a warehouse worker and member of Local 25. “We work hard to make this company successful, and we believe we deserve a fair contract that allows us to provide for our families. Nobody wants to strike. But nobody is going to keep making Wynn rich while our own families fall behind.”
Encore took in $847 million in Boston last year, according to Wynn Resorts’ filings with the SEC, yet management refuses to come back to the table to negotiate a fair deal with wage improvements. The current contract expires August 31, and workers are prepared for a work stoppage if a deal is not reached.
“This is a union town. Teamsters don’t cross picket lines, and neither does Boston,” said Thomas G. Mari, President of Local 25. “If our members are on that sidewalk, we’re asking every worker and every family in this city to stand with them: while they’re out, stay out.”
SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters