News Archives
April 30, 2008
Atlantic City Mayor Scott Evans Signs Casino Smoking Ban into Law at UAW Union Hall
Atlantic City, NJ – Today, at the United Auto Workers’ Union Hall in Atlantic City, Mayor Scott Evans signed into law the first-ever smoking ban for a casino town. Mayor Evans was joined by local labor leaders and UAW casino workers who fought for the smoking ban to reduce their exposure to second-hand smoke at work.
The new smoking ban will guarantee all Atlantic City casino gaming floors are 100 percent smoke-free, and will go into effect Oct. 15. It was sponsored by Councilman Bruce Ward and supported by the UAW, the New Jersey Group Against Smoking Pollution (NJ-GASP), the American Cancer Society, and other public health organizations.
"This is a great victory for casino workers. Their grassroots organizing really got the ball rolling on a long-standing problem in the casinos of Atlantic City,” said Joe Ashton, director of UAW Region 9, which includes New Jersey. “We’re glad the City Council and the Mayor listened to workers and took the necessary action.”
“CEO executives who don’t have to worry about access to affordable health care opposed the smoking ban in casinos all along. I’m just relieved that when UAW members teamed up with public health advocates we were able to make a positive change,” said Al Welenc, a casino dealer at the Tropicana.
“Now that casino workers have come together to solve a major health and safety problem at work through the smoking ban, the next step for these workers will be to win fair contracts with their employers,” said New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech.
After winning union representation elections at four major casino properties in Atlantic City during the past year, Casino workers in Atlantic City are currently working to negotiate first contract agreements at Caesars, Bally’s, Tropicana and Trump Plaza. Progress has been stalled by management delaying tactics, including several cases in which casino executives filed unsuccessful objections to election results.
“We’ve got huge majorities in favor of forming our own unions,” said Welenc. “We voted. The results are in. It’s long past time for the casinos to meet their responsibilities and bargain with us in good faith so we can reach agreements that help our members and help the industry.”
