Why form a Union?

IGT workers at Empire City Casino (Yonkers), Resorts World NY (Queens), Jake’s 58 (Islandia), and Resorts World Hudson Valley (Newburgh, NY) are all CWA Local 1101 members.They’ve been able to raise their wages and improve their working conditions through working and bargaining collectively. Through organizing with the union IGT workers have won important gains, including:

• Guaranteed yearly raises. The union and the company negotiate across the board wage increases for every worker in each contract. IGT workers are part of the union’s negotiating team, and every IGT worker in the bargaining unit votes on the Tentative Agreement that’s reached between the company and the union negotiating teams. If workers are unhappy with the Agreement and vote it down, bargaining continues. 

   

• A clearly defined path to promotion to a higher FST level. The NYC/Hudson Valley contract includes language that spells out how Field Service Technicians who have demonstrated competency in accordance with the TCM/PCM will progress to the next FST level, and a review process if an employee feels a supervisor has failed to certify an employee's demonstration of competency.

   

• A clear process for promotion to different positions. IGT is required to post available bargaining unit positions, and there’s a defined process for eligible employees to apply. Promotions are awarded to the most senior eligible employee.

   

• Just cause language. In the absence of a union contract management can discipline or fire workers for any reason, as long as they’re not discriminating based on a federally protected category. The union contract means IGT has to show they have just cause in the event of discipline and employees have union representation in the process.

   

• Emergency situations. If a casino closes during a worker’s regularly scheduled shift due to an emergency, employees are paid for the hours they would normally have worked.

• Prior notification of layoffs to the union and the affected employees, giving the Union the ability to discuss alternatives with the company and help employees find alternatives within the company. Recall rights for bargaining unit workers.  

• Lock it in, make it better. The union contract locks in the things workers are happy with and want to keep, and strives to improve or add things that need to be changed.  

Union = more bargaining power, more leverage, better pay and working conditions