Atlantic City Tropicana accuses local union of ‘hidden agendas’

John Curran

Thursday, Sept. 16, 2004 | 9:07 a.m.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- The Tropicana Casino and Resort accused a casino workers union Wednesday of pressuring its members into a strike while pursuing "hidden agendas."

The casino, which is at the center of a contract dispute with the 17,000-member Local 54 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union, said the union was interested more in building its membership nationally than in reaching a fair deal for its members locally.

In a letter to employees, Tropicana President Pamela Popielarski and Aztar Corp. executive Dennis Gomes said the union had lied and misrepresented facts in a bid to make Tropicana the "scapegoat" for the dispute.

Local 54's contract with 11 of the 12 casinos expired at midnight Tuesday, but workers have remained on the job. The union's negotiating committee will vote Friday on whether to walk off the job.

The main issue in the dispute centers on the use of nonunion help in subcontracted restaurants in the casinos. The union has criticized Tropicana for not requiring the food and beverage outlets in Tropicana's $265 million expansion to hire Local 54 members.

But Tropicana officials say such a requirement would have scared off potential tenants of The Quarter, and that the union is welcome to try to organize those workers on its own.

"We've done this aboveboard and permitted by the contract, and the union's known about it all along," Gomes said in an interview Wednesday. "They're trying to act like we did something underhanded."

In the letter, which was being posted in various locations on the Tropicana property, Gomes and Popielarski said subcontracting had not cost any Local 54 members jobs.

"The union only cares about membership dues," the letter said. "Not one single union job has been lost to subcontracting in Atlantic City. You shouldn't allow the union's hidden agendas to hurt The Quarter, which is the most exciting project this city has ever seen.

"Please think carefully before you let the union force you into a strike that you do not support over an issue that does not affect you," the letter said.

Union spokesman Chris Magoulas said it would be union members -- not Local 54's leaders -- who would hold the cards in deciding whether to strike.

"We're concerned with keeping the middle-class standard of living that gaming workers have enjoyed in Atlantic City since the inception of gaming."

No talks were held Wednesday, and none are scheduled.

Today, Local 54 was to hold a "solidarity march" to promote its cause.

The event, to begin at 5 p.m., was to feature thousands of members marching from either end of the Boardwalk, meeting in front of Boardwalk Hall for a rally.

Employees of six casinos will march from Albany Avenue, and employees of the other six will march from New Jersey Avenue.