Workers at casino in Cleveland vote to unionize

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Workers at a casino in Cleveland have voted to unionize, and four unions working together to represent them are hoping to organize workers at Ohio’s other casinos.

The United Auto Workers, the United Steelworkers, the Teamsters and the hospitality employees union UNITE Here have joined to form the Cleveland Casino Workers Council as a bargaining agent for workers at the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland, The Plain Dealer reported Tuesday. The council includes 1,050 Horseshoe employees.

Christina Karas, a spokeswoman for the Horseshoe Casino, said management is not objecting to the unionization of its employees.

“Our position is one of neutrality,” Karas said. “We’re looking forward to having a healthy relationship with the union representatives.”

The unions also are trying to organize workers at the Hollywood Casino Toledo, Ken Lortz, director of the UAW region covering Ohio and Indiana, told the newspaper. They also are hoping to organize workers at another Hollywood casino scheduled to open in Columbus in October and another Horseshoe casino expected to open next spring in Cincinnati, he said.

Officials with Penn National Gaming Inc., which owns the Hollywood casinos, did not immediately return calls Tuesday seeking comment.

The Cleveland casino was developed by Rock Ohio Gaming in partnership with Caesar’s Entertainment Inc. The partnership also is developing the Cincinnati casino.

The unions plan to determine later which groups of Cleveland casino workers the individual unions will represent on grievances and other issues, according to Lortz. An arbitrator certified the election results Aug. 16.

Lortz said a survey has begun to determine which issues will take priority in Cleveland. Casino workers already have expressed concern about sudden changes in their schedules and mandatory overtime, he said.

“I would hope to get to the bargaining table within the next 30 days,” Lortz said.

Calls seeking additional comment from Lortz and officials with the other unions were not immediately returned Tuesday.

The four unions already represent casino workers in other states.