Mountaineer Casino Faces Strike Deadline
The Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack, and Resort faces a Saturday deadline to negotiate a new union contract, or deal with a strike by casino employees. The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23 after rejecting the establishment's latest offer Tuesday.
Cashiers, money room employees, and slot specialists are covered by the Local. They have been working without a contract since the old one expired March 1st.
MTR Gaming, Inc., which operates the West Virginia casino, pays employees an average of $9.34 per hour; cashiers' pay starts at $6.50. Federal minimum wage rises in July to $6.55, and to $7.25 next year.
Employees protest that pay is so low, they have to seek government assistance to afford basic needs, such as food, shelter, and health care. Union Secretary Treasurer Tony Helfer pointed out that, while the Mountaineer Resort was licensed with the intent of providing revenue to the area, the actual effect has been that the area has to subsidize Mountaineer's employees.
Casino lawyer Marshall Berman refuted the union's position, saying the complex was prepared to negotiate, but the union had a giant list of demands and insisted they all were written in stone. Included in the suggested package the union presented were bonus pay for anyone working other than Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 19 new paid holidays.
No meeting has been scheduled before the strike deadline; if the strike occurs, the casino says it will use management and other employees to temporarily fill the gaps.
