Some workers at the largest casino in Massachusetts voted to join a union.
The 57 slot attendants employed by Encore Boston Harbor voted to join UNITED HERE Local 26. The union comprises Massachusetts-based hospitality workers, including hotel, food service, airports and casino workers.
The National Labor Relations Board conducted a union authorization vote. Most slot attendants voted to join the union. As a result, UNITE HERE Local 26 added 57 slot attendants to its more than 1,200 members.
That union is also aligned with more than 200 International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 25 members. Those unions have bargained in tandem with Encore Boston Harbor since it opened four years ago.
Encore Boston Harbor’s union workers nearly went on strike
Earlier this year, UNITED HERE Local 26 voted to authorize a strike if Encore Boston Harbor did not meet its demands for improved working conditions and wages.
Executives of the Wynn Resorts-owned Massachusetts casino made a deal just before the June 30 deadline, thereby averting the strike.
As a result, union members work under a contract that provides what the union describes as “five-star wages, excellent benefits, and job security.” The slot attendants will now enjoy those same benefits.
Slot attendant Andrew Zucco supported joining the union and mentioned the solidarity among his colleagues during the process.
“I’m proud and happy and relieved,” Zucco said in a press release. “The company put a lot of effort into stopping us, but we stayed together and organized for great health insurance and to protect our jobs. I feel on top of the world.”
Slot attendants tend to slot machines on the gaming floor. Their duties include monitoring the area for security, providing customer support, and reporting machine glitches.
They may also distribute winnings up to a certain amount.
Encore Boston Harbor is already big, and it’s getting bigger
Encore Boston Harbor is a luxury casino in Everett. It has more than 200,000 square feet of gaming space, making it one of the 10 largest casinos in the country.
Located about 20 miles south of Boston, Encore Boston Harbor employs more than 2,500 people and has transformed the Mystic River section of Everett since it debuted in 2019.
Wynn plans to expand the venue, and recently received approval from the Everett Planning Board to move forward with a project to develop an adjacent lot across the street. The new project will have an entertainment stage, multiple restaurants and a poker room.