Encore Boston Harbor Reports Normal Operations as 1,350 Union Workers Remain on Strike
1,350 union workers struck at Encore Boston Harbor on Sept. 4 seeking $10 hourly raises over four years to reach $25 minimum starting pay. Wynn reports the resort stays open with wait times under three minutes for cashiers and two minutes for large jackpots. September GGR data will show any revenue effects.
SCCG Take — The standoff tests operational resilience claims against union demands at a top Massachusetts property. Regulators and operators await the Gaming Commission’s September figures to measure the strike’s concrete impact on local GGR.
Encore Boston Harbor continues to serve guests nearly one month after more than 1,350 union workers began picketing outside the $2.6 billion casino resort. Wynn Resorts states that the property remains staffed and operational despite the labor action.
Approximately 1,350 members of Teamsters Local 25 and Unite Here Local 26 walked off the job on Sept. 4, four days after their collective bargaining contracts expired. These workers hold positions including housekeepers, servers, cooks, bartenders, slot attendants, and warehouse personnel.
Union leaders seek $10-an-hour pay increases over four years along with minimum starting wages of $25 an hour. Wynn Resorts notes that the workers already receive average total compensation of almost $96,000 a year in pay and benefits. The unions respond that this amount includes tips and is skewed by a few high-volume tipped classifications.
Website Updates Highlight Real-Time Service Metrics
The Encore Boston Harbor site now displays a section declaring “We can’t wait to serve you” with live tracking for cage cashier visits and slot attendant responses for jackpot payouts. Wynn states that slot players winning $2,000 or more are typically attended to within two minutes while cage cashier wait times average under three minutes. The 671 guestrooms, slot machines, table games, and most of the nearly two-dozen dining venues remain open though valet service may be limited.
Unions have called for a public boycott with the statement “Don’t eat, meet, sleep, or gamble at Encore Boston Harbor until workers win a fair contract.” The Boston City Council and Everett City Council passed resolutions pledging not to patronize the resort.
Pre-Strike Revenue and Pending Financial Picture
In August Encore Boston Harbor generated gross gaming revenue of $62.9 million compared with $19.5 million at MGM Springfield and $15.2 million at Plainridge Park Casino. Striking workers receive union stipends instead of state unemployment benefits because voluntary strikers are generally disqualified in Massachusetts. These stipends require picket duty and count as taxable income.
According to reporting by Casino.org a clearer picture of the dispute’s toll will emerge when the Massachusetts Gaming Commission releases its September revenue reports in mid-to-late October.
Reporting: Casino.org News
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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