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Union Rejects Tropicana Offer

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey – As reported by the Press of Atlantic City: "Union officials fielded a contract offer from the Tropicana Casino and Resort on Thursday and then told casino officials they could jump off their building.

"Contract negotiations between Tropicana and Local 54 of Unite Here broke off Thursday night with the two sides clearly divided on one key issue - subcontracting.

"…The casino says it presented the casino-hotel union with a 'groundbreaking' package that promises to ensure that existing employees would never lose their jobs to leased restaurants, none of the casino's five union restaurants would close and that tipped workers will receive supplemental pay if their paychecks drop below a benchmark set in 2003.

"Dennis C. Gomes, president of Aztar Corp., Tropicana's parent company, said the offer was revolutionary.

"…Union officials responded by calling casino negotiators liars and manipulators.

" …[Tropicana Vice President of Food and Beverage Al Maiorani] said Local 54 President Robert McDevitt immediately began threatening a strike.

"Maiorani quoted McDevitt as saying: 'You can continue to pour gas on yourself. You can go to the top of the Tropicana, have a shot of sake and kamikaze yourself.'

"…'They decided to insult our intelligence,' contract committee member Al Tabei said during a telephone interview shortly after the meeting with Tropicana.

"…'In turn, we saw a whole lot about nothing - lots of new words but they meant the same thing as last time we were here,' Tabei said.

"…The union has been operating without a contract since Sept. 15 and last Friday authorized a strike if talks fail by Oct. 1…"

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