Workers at Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, Massachusetts voted on Thursday to authorize a strike. Roughly 1,350 members of UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 work at the property, and their contract with Wynn Resorts expires August 31. A walkout can start any time after that date, and the unions said they will not announce one in advance.
Pay and working conditions are the sticking point. Sem Avdic, a warehouse worker and Teamsters Local 25 member, said staff 'are not asking for anything unreasonable' and want fair compensation for the work. 'We are proud of what we built at Encore, but nobody will keep enriching Wynn while their own families fall behind,' he said. Janese Perez, a slot operator with UNITE HERE Local 26, tied the dispute to the city's economy: 'When workers have decent wages and health insurance, the money goes back into our families, neighborhoods and local businesses.'
Encore Boston Harbor brought in $847 million in revenue last year, per Wynn Resorts SEC filings. The Teamsters strike fund holds about $365 million, money that would support members on the picket line. Thomas G. Mari, president of Teamsters Local 25, urged Boston residents to stay away from the casino if workers walk out: 'This is a union town. Teamsters don't cross picket lines, and Boston shouldn't either.'
For Wynn, it is the second major labor dispute in the region in recent years. A strike would land in the peak autumn season, the property's busiest stretch.
