UAW files petition for union at Foxwoods Casino

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- The United Auto Workers filed a petition Friday with the National Labor Relations Board seeking an election to form a union for about 3,000 dealers at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Union officials called the move the largest organizing effort in Connecticut in decades. It also would be one of the first unions at a tribal casino.

"This step is epochal, portending huge shifts in the legal and labor landscape at tribal casinos all around the country," said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, whose office has supported such efforts. "It would almost inevitably lead to similar union efforts at other casinos."

The move came after UAW officials said a "supermajority" of the 3,000 dealers had signed cards in support of the effort. At least 30% of employees of a proposed bargaining unit must sign cards to force a vote, which is supervised by the NLRB.

UAW officials said in June that they had started gathering signatures in a bid to unionize workers at Foxwoods. The casino in Mashantucket is owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and has 11,430 employees.

"We have waited for this day for a long time," Steve Peloso, a 15-year poker dealer, said in a statement issued by UAW. "There have been too many abuses by management — co-workers have gotten sick on the job and are then forced out, health benefits get worse every year. We're fed up, and we're doing something about it."

Peloso said starting pay for dealers is about $4.50 an hour, with most of their income coming from tips.

Foxwoods officials have been fighting union efforts, telling employees they will be required to pay dues and may lose benefits through negotiations. In February, the casino announced 5% raises and improved benefits after a New Year's Eve sickout to protest working conditions.

Dealers who support the union say they did not receive the promised pay increase.

Telephone messages were left Friday morning with Foxwoods officials seeking comment.

A federal appeals court ruled earlier this year that Indian casinos are bound by the NLRB, which sets rules for union organizing.