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Unions Looking to Organize Tribal Casinos

WASHINGTON, DC – As reported by the Norwich Bulletin: "Denise De Groff has no complaints about her $15-an-hour salary as a maintenance engineer at the Agua Caliente casino in Southern California.

"But De Groff isn't happy about other aspects of her job at the casino, owned by one of the country's wealthiest Indian tribes. She said she hasn't been promoted since 2001, and she's upset that the casino recently started charging her $60 a month for health care coverage.

"…De Groff wants to see workers at the casino in Rancho Mirage unionize, and she's not alone. Around the country, unions are collecting complaints from tribal casino employees and pushing them to organize.

"Those efforts gained momentum in May, when the National Labor Relations Board decided that tribal casino employees have the same right to organize as private-sector workers.

"The board's ruling set up a historic clash between workers' rights and the status of Indian tribes as sovereign nations.

" …[Paul Shagen, a tribal council member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan,] said the decision is discriminatory because it applies to tribal governments but not to federal or state governments. Tribes such as the Sault Ste. Marie use casino revenues to pay for education, health care and other essential services for their members, he said.

"Union representatives counter their efforts will produce wage increases, job security and family health care at an affordable rate.

"… 'It's really creating a new standard in the tribal gaming industry,' said Jack Gribbon, California political director for the hospitality union Unite Here.

"… Unite Here also has persuaded about 20 tribes — in California, Connecticut and two other locations it won't identify — to pledge not to oppose unionization attempts, Gribbon said. Seven of those tribes own casinos now and all hope to open casinos in the future.

"…The largest Indian gaming palace in the country, Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, isn't interested in organized labor…"

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