June 23, 2015
By LaborPress
Led by UNITE HERE Local 54, about 2,000 people marched on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in New Jersey June 18, protesting sharp cuts in benefits for Trump Taj Mahal workers. About 75 people were arrested when they blocked the entrance to the casino’s parking lot.
Billionaire Carl Icahn, who effectively controls the Taj Mahal’s finances since it went bankrupt under previous owner Donald Trump, won a court decision letting the casino terminate union contracts covering about 1,000 workers, enabling management to slash pension and health benefits. “I’m willing to do whatever I need to do to secure a contract for the Taj Mahal,” said Bob Walls, a bartender at the Icahn-owned Tropicana nearby who was one of the people arrested. UNITE HERE estimates that ending the contract has cost the workers, who average around $12 an hour, about $12,000 a year in pay and benefits. Read more
