Landmark victory for New York City hotel/gaming workers

The New York City Hotel Trades Council has reached an agreement that brings enormous gains for the 1,400 employees of the Resorts World New York casino. The contract provides for an immediate near-doubling of wages, with substantial increases in the second and third years. Wages in 2016 will be nearly triple what the workers were earning before they had a union. The agreement also provides for free family healthcare, free career training programs, retirement security for workers and what the union calls “Ironclad protections” for immigrant workers against intimidation because of their immigration status based on the union’s groundbreaking New York City Hotelwide Agreement.

With the signing of the agreement, these workers have been lifted out of poverty in what is hoped will set the pattern for the industry in the state.

Resorts World New York, which opened in 2011, is part of the Malaysian-based transnational gaming and resort Genting Group.