There are plenty of jobs in Atlantic City’s gaming industry, so many that the Casino Association of New Jersey and the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement partnered to hold a job fair June 2 at the Atlantic City Convention Center.
All the Atlantic City casinos recruited dealers as well as positions that are part of Local 54’s world: culinary workers, servers, and hotel housekeeping. Attendees could apply at the fair and garner an interview and a job offer, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
The job fair is just one of many signs that the industry is climbing out of the doldrums that enveloped it during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. The properties are investing, and some saw their gross operating profits increase.
Meanwhile, pickets strolled in front of the Tropicana, a sign that things could get ugly in the labor world as members of Local 54 of Unite Here threatened a walkout over the lack of a new contract as of May 31. The union is seeking significant wage increases to help its members have their income keep pace with high inflation. Stressing wages over other issues is a change from prior contracts, when health insurance and pensions were lead issues.
“We have a long way to go before we get a contract. We’re not far enough down the road for me to give you any kind of a prediction yet,” said union president Bob McDevitt.
The good news, if you want to call it that, is that the union has not yet called for a vote to authorize a strike, nor is one scheduled as of June 1, according to the Associated Press.
The union went on strike in 2004 for 34 days and walked out against the former Trump Taj Mahal casino in July 2016. The latter move resulted in the Taj Mahal shutting down. The casino has since re-opened as a Hard Rock.
The workers say the casinos overall are doing very well, mentioning sports betting and online gambling. The industry counters with the argument that the casinos retain only 30 percent of that income; the rest fills the coffers of operators like FanDuel.
Money won from in-person gamblers is a much better indicator, and those numbers are still below the level of pre-pandemic 2019.
A member survey showed that 61 percent reported struggling to pay their rent or mortgage on time in the past year; 32 percent reported they lacked money for food, 37 percent lacked enough for utilities, and 27 percent for transportation.
“Enough is enough,” said Teresa Lopez, a Caesars employee. “We deserve better. The casinos are making their money; now it’s our turn.”
