Workers on Strike at Trump Taj Mahal
From NJ AFL-CIO
As of 6:00 a.m. this morning, about 1,000 members of UNITE HERE Local 54 went out on strike at the Trump Taj Mahal. We ask that you please support our brothers and sisters by joining their picket line, which will run around the clock, and informing others of the strike before the busy 4th of July weekend.
UNITE HERE Local 54 was engaged in negotiations with five Atlantic City casinos and managed to reach agreements with Tropicana Atlantic City, Bally’s Atlantic City, Caesars Atlantic City, and Harrah’s Resort before today’s strike deadline.
Workers at the Trump Taj Mahal have been under siege by corporate-raider Carl Icahn, whose slash and burn tactics have devastated the lives of workers. Beholden to a blind quest for profit, Icahn has stripped away health care and pension benefits from career casino workers – then added insult to injury by taking away their half-hour paid meal break.
Workers, unlike the billionaire Icahn, have a vested interest in the future of Atlantic City and the casinos that have allowed them to provide for their families. Workers have made the necessary sacrifices to help casinos weather Atlantic City’s economic storm. Now, as the industry begins to stabilize, workers are seeking a restoration of a week or more of paid vacation; a modest wage increase of $3 per hour, to be phased in by 60-cent increments over five years; and employer contributions to the union’s health fund so workers can afford to keep benefits at current levels.
Between greedy profiteers and a hobbled economy, workers across our state and nation face an uphill battle to make ends meet. Therefore, we urge all to join in this battle by supporting workers on strike at the Taj Mahal. We will continue to provide you with updates and thank you for your support.