With a June 30 deadline, unionized Encore casino workers voted overwhelmingly to go on strike as they seek a “five-star contract” at the Everett, Massachusetts, resort.
Workers affected include room attendants, cocktail servers, bar bouncers, cooks, dishwashers, public area cleaners and drivers, according to a news release. United Here Local 26 and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 25 have bargained together since the casino opened in 2019, with their first contract expiring on April 19 of this year.
Negotiations for a new contract began on March 9.
Nine hundred sixty-three unionized workers voted in favor of the strike and 13 voted against it.
A press release announcing the strike vote said that the top demands of union workers are “five-star wages, five-star benefits and job security,” aligning themselves with five-star ownership.
“Living in the Boston area is very expensive,” said the bar’s bouncer David Hernandez in the news release. “Many people who work at Encore, including me, 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’re doing all the hard work so the casino can maintain its Forbes Five Star rating.”
If a strike occurs, picketing will be ongoing 24/7. Union leaders said delivery drivers who are members of Teamsters Local 25 have pledged not to cross the picket line to deliver liquor, food and other essential items.
