Caesars cries foul as dealers vote for union
Casino accuses United Auto Workers of threatening
employees, pledges to challenge result

By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609) 463-6713
Monday, March 19, 2007

ATLANTIC CITY — A sweeping majority of table games dealers at Caesars Atlantic City approved unionization with United Auto Workers, making them the city's first casino dealers to join a union.
The vote, which was made public Sunday and included keno and simulcast workers, passed 572-128 and affects about 860 full- and part-time employees.
A spokeswoman for Harrah's Entertainment Inc., which owns Caesars, said the casino company will challenge the results and accused the union of threatening employees to vote for unionization. The company wants another vote.
The response came less than 12 hours after votes were tallied late Saturday night, setting the stage for the National Labor Relations Board — an independent federal agency — to consider the casino company's objections.
A UAW spokeswoman said the vote reflects a decisive desire to unionize, one she hopes will spread to dealers in other Atlantic City casinos.


On March 31, dealers at Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino will participate in a similar vote. “It was very decisive, and people had made up their minds it was in their best interests to have union representation,” said Elizabeth Bunn, UAW secretary and treasurer. “Prior to the vote, there was lots of discussion in the workplace. People were anxious to get to the election, get to the bargaining table.”

In the past 25 years, four attempts to organize casino dealers in Atlantic City failed. Harrah's spokeswoman Alyce Parker said Sunday the company plans to contest the union's practices in rallying support for the vote.

“While the election results have indicated that Caesars' dealers wish representation, we believe that the conduct of the United Auto Workers union and their supporters, including threats to employees if they did not vote for the union, as well as false accusations that Caesars bribed employees to buy their vote, destroyed conditions for a free and fair election,” said Parker, reading from a statement.

“We will be filing objections to the election and will wait until the objections have been completely resolved, which could take several years, and a fair election can be held.” Bunn denied the casino's allegations.

“This is just another ploy on the part of Caesars management to persuade workers that their plan to secure rights and a collective bargaining agreement won't bear fruit,” Bunn said. “We're very disappointed in this response on the part of management, but make no mistake, we will not be deterred from the goal that we have of getting to the bargaining table.”

The national UAW includes local Region 9, which encompasses New Jersey, Pennsylvania and parts of New York. Members include auto workers, childcare workers and others, Bunn said.

The national union represents three casinos in Detroit. However, Caesars is the local region's first casino, Bunn said. In February, the National Labor Relations Board approved the union's petition for a vote.

In a statement, the union said dealers at several other casinos in Atlantic City are actively involved in organizing efforts.

To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press:  BIanieri@pressofac.com