(by Jason Jones)
2020 will be the year about 8,000 casino workers across the country will be
in contract negotiations with the casino behemoths, Caesars Entertainment and
Eldorado Resorts. Betty Marion, 58, has worked at Caesars Southern Indiana
Hotel & Casino for 16 years. Earning $13.79 per hour after all that time,
she had to declare bankruptcy and could not afford her house in Sellersburg.
Betty spoke very matter-of-factly to Peoples World in that accent native
to Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky. Not quite Southern, not quite
Midwestern but with a definite twang that reminds you she comes from an area of
the country where people are not afraid to fight injustice. “That aggravated
the tar out of me” Betty went to describe how the low pay and high insurance
deductible had her “choosing between food or rent.” She has even had to take on
a roommate to share costs. Betty works the wardrobe department and is a member
of UNITE Local 23. Betty signed up about one year ago to be a part of the
organizing and bargaining committees. She shared that this time; she is getting
engaged in the fight for a good contract and respect on the job.
New
Albany lies on the Indiana side of the Ohio River across from Louisville, KY.
One of the first casinos in Indiana, it has changed hands several times.
Currently, the casino is owned by Eldorado Resorts after their merger with
Caesars Entertainment. Eldorado is known for its union busting. Caesars CEO,
Tony Rodio, is probably best known for shutting down Donald Trump’s Taj Mahal
casino in 2016 resulting in the loss of nearly 3,000 jobs almost overnight.
Betty
knows the national campaign being waged this year has high stakes for her. But
she knows there is strength in numbers.
Taylor
Cox, 29, works at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville, IN. Shelbyville
is a rural Indiana Town about 30 minutes east of Indianapolis. Taylor is a
bartender and has worked there for about two years. Taylor also stressed the
importance of having control over his health insurance and wages that keep up
with the cost of living. Taylor described his coworkers at the casino as people
with families, from all parts of central Indiana, and ages from early adulthood
to nearing retirement. Taylor underscored the importance of having a say in his
workplace especially when it comes to scheduling. He shared that there is a
high turnover rate among employees due to work scheduling not being flexible
especially when workers have children to care for.
The
union also recognizes the threats of automation. UNITE is working to ensure
protections for retraining and ensuring those workers will have employment
lined up before they are laid off. Along with good wages, health care, respect
for seniority, the union is fighting for protections against sexual harassment.
Taylor described the environment in the casino as one where women workers have
to be on guard against management and customers alike. For all these reasons,
Taylor underscored the importance of the next few months as nation-wide contract
negotiations take place. He also shared the importance of community support.
He, along with his coworkers, will lead a delegation to management on March 12th
at 3:00pm as part of the struggle for a better contract.
Eric
Brooks, community co-chair of Indianapolis, IN based Central Indiana Jobs with
Justice said, “We stand with organized labor and community organizations
struggling to meet the need for quality, affordable health care for working
families. We are actively committed to building labor and community support for
all struggles by working people and allies to better workers’ lives.” Central
Indiana Jobs with Justice anticipates supporting the delegation as well as all
future actions in support of Caesars workers.
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