With a deadline of June 30, Encore casino workers who are in unions have overwhelmingly voted in favor of going on strike as they seek a "five-star contract" at the Everett, Massachusetts, resort.
Workers who are impacted include room attendants, cocktail servers, bar porters, cooks, dishwashers, public area cleaners and drivers, according to a news release. United Here Local 26 and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 25 have bargained together since the casino opened in 2019, and had their first contract expire on April 19 of this year.
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Negotiations for a new contract began on March 9.
Nine hundred and sixty three union workers voted in favor of a strike, and 13 voted no.
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A news release announcing the strike vote said that the core demands of the union workers are "five-star wages, five-star benefits and job security," aligning with the five-star property.
“Living in the Boston area is very expensive," bar porter David Hernandez said in the news release. "A lot of people who work at Encore, including myself, need to have more than one job in order to survive. This means we spend less time with our families. The company calls us the “Five-Star Team” but that just means we are doing all the hard work so that the casino can maintain its Forbes Five-Star rating.”
If a strike happens, picket lines would be ongoing 24/7. Union leaders said that delivery drivers who are members of the Teamsters Local 25 have pledged to not cross the picket line to deliver liquor, food and other essentials.
