Employees of Ocean Downs Casino say they’ll form a picket line outside the building tomorrow to draw attention to alleged unfair wages and alleged attempts to quash unionization efforts for the casino’s table games dealers.
The protest against casino owner Churchill Downs Inc. is being organized by Unite Here, the nation’s largest gaming workers union. Members allege the casino not only has refused to sit down with employees who wish to unionize but has attempted to threaten and intimidate those who do, which would be a violation of the National Labor Relations Act.
“We’ve had managers say to workers, if you push for the union, we’ll shut down table games and you won’t have a job,” said Unite Here representative Roxie Herbekian. “We think Churchill Downs is not keeping up its end of the bargain by allowing them to organize the way every other casino worker in the state is allowed to organize.”
The union is also alleging that some dealers have been forced to work as supervisors, which means they must forgo tips, and has accused the casino of forcing staffers to attend “captive audience” meetings to convince them they should not be organizing.
Online records show that Local 7 has filed two complaints with the National Labor Relations Board against the casino under its business name, Ocean Enterprise 589, LLC. A complaint filed March 12 alleges interrogation, coercive statements, and coercive rules. Local 7 filed a second complaint on March 25, alleging coercive action and surveillance.
The May 3 picket line will be on public property on Racetrack Road starting at 9 a.m. Herbekian described the effort as “informational” – to let the public know that dealers lack have union representation, and that they rely on tips for wages because their hourly pay rate of $5 is lower than other dealers in the state.