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Hilton pit boss, wife sue UAW

"The alleged harassment was prompted by Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort management's recruitment of longtime employee Wayne Chiw, who is Chinese-American, in January to help discourage Chinese and other Asian and Asian-American dealers from joining the UAW, according to the lawsuit that was filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.

"After the meetings in which he tried to convince people that voting for the union was not in their best interest, a Hilton supervisor and 'pro-union agent of the UAW' falsely accused Chiw of having threatened to take away dealers' green cards and have them deported if they voted to unionize, according to the lawsuit. That provoked an intense union smear campaign against Chiw that hampered his reputation and so emotionally rattled him that he has seen a psychiatrist, is using anti-depressant medications and went on temporary medical leave this month, according to Chiw and his lawyer.

"Regardless of whether the allegations are ever proved, the lawsuit is a flashpoint for a battle that has played out behind the scenes in this year's citywide casino organizing drive by the UAW: the push by both the union and casino management for East Asian and East Asian-American dealers' votes.

"...Chiw's lawsuit depicts him as a well-respected, well-known member of the East Asian-American community who fell from grace as the UAW, through its agents in the casino, slandered him as a disgraced pit boss. The lawsuit alleges that employees caused his wife, Elena Chiw, severe emotional distress at work. She also was heckled with questions such as, 'How many dealers has your husband deported so far?' and 'How much of a bonus will your husband get if the union fails in the election?' according to the lawsuit.

"Chiw was successful at what his bosses assigned him to do, according to his Philadelphia lawyer, Gus Pelagatti. Pelagatti claims Chiw convinced dozens of dealers to revoke authorization cards they signed supporting the union..."

copyrighted material written for and appeared exclusively in The Press of Atlantic City

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