Striker injured in picket-line incident

John Curran

Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004 | 9:16 a.m.

ATLANTIC CITY -- A striking hotel worker who suffered a broken kneecap in a picket-line confrontation has filed an assault complaint, the first reported violence in the 13-day-old walkout.

Alberto Pena, 43, a busperson at Bally's Atlantic City casino, told police he was tackled by security guards after a confrontation Sunday in which a video camera was knocked from a guard's hand, apparently by a different union member.

While Pena was being treated at Atlantic City Medical Center, the casino filed a complaint against him and another striker, alleging assault and criminal mischief, police Lt. Michael Tullio said Wednesday.

Pena's complaint didn't name a specific person, Tullio said.

No charges have been filed, he said. Police would not release copies of the complaints.

"Right now we're still trying to find out what security guards were involved and get the surveillance film on whatever happened," Tullio said.

Casino spokesman Brian Cahill did not identify the guards involved.

"It's being investigated by the Atlantic City Police Department," he said.

On Oct. 1 about 10,000 members of Local 54 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union walked off the job at seven casinos in a dispute over contract length, the casinos' use of nonunion subcontractors and health care benefits.

No talks have been held since the walkout started although the union has invited casino officials to resume negotiations Friday.

The strikers have mounted around-the-clock picket lines at each of the casinos, chanting, waving signs and calling on gamblers to boycott the struck casinos.

On Friday 85 union members and strikers were arrested during a sit-in that blocked the main access route into Atlantic City during rush hour at the start of the Columbus Day weekend. But the arrests were prearranged with police as part of the civil disobedience.

The union has avoided the violence that erupted in a 1986 walkout against the casinos that lasted only 1 1/2 days. During that strike, mobs threw rocks, bottles and eggs and blocked traffic, injuring 54 people. There were 33 arrests.

In contrast, this strike -- the longest ever against Atlantic City casinos -- has been calm and well-organized, Tullio said.

"For the most part, it's been extremely peaceful and quiet," said Tullio. "We've dealt with court disputes about picketing but this is the first assault-related complaint I'm aware of that's come out of this."

Meanwhile, casinos continue to appeal to workers to come back, using full-page advertisements in The Press of Atlantic City newspaper.

"Now you can join together with nearly 1,000 Local 54 members who have returned to work," the seven struck casinos said in an advertisement Wednesday. "They have begun earning their salary and tips again. You can too, if you return to work today, just like your co-workers have."

The union, meanwhile, has begun airing radio commercials featuring strikers and their children asking people to patronize only the three Trump casinos, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and the Sands Hotel & Casino, where Local 54 workers remain on the job.