Trump Taj Mahal and Local 54 hold talks for the first time since late June

ATLANTIC CITY — For the first time since late June, representatives of Unite Here Local 54 and Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort management held discussions on a new contract.

During the more than two hour meeting Monday, Local 54 presented Taj Mahal management with a new proposal that would cost $1.3 million more than the last proposal by Taj Mahal owner Carl Icahn. Earlier this month, 2,848 employees of the Taj Mahal were notified they would be laid off Oct. 10 and the property would be closed. Taj Mahal management blamed striking Local 54 workers for preventing a “path to profitability.” More than a 1,000 Local 54 members have been on strike since July 1 after a contract impasse with Taj Mahal management.

“This labor dispute has been going on for almost two years,” said union President Bob McDevitt. “The company has saved about $25 million in labor expenses, but lost between $150 and $200 million in revenues. The proposal we put forward today allows all of us to move forward.”

The proposal deal includes Taj Mahal paying the same amount for workers’ healthcare that is paid throughout the city, the restoration of paid breaks, and subcontracting protections for workers be restored.

“Local 54 leadership reached out to Taj Mahal management to schedule an effects bargaining meeting, which we believed was to discuss closing procedure. This was not a negotiating session,” said Tony Rodio, President and CEO of Tropicana Entertainment Inc.. “Bob McDevitt and the Taj bargaining committee have no one to blame but themselves for this sad outcome. If McDevitt cared even one iota about the future of the employees he would have allowed them to vote on the proposal we offered five weeks ago based on his recommendations, which we believe could have saved the Taj.

The meeting is required as part of the state-mandated Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notifications Act.

“We came up with a proposal that will restore what we have lost while at the same time giving the company time to rebuild its business,” said Peter Battaglini, a 26-year bellman. “This is a win-win proposal in my book.”

Icahn said after the strike started that the casino offered the union a health care deal he thought members would accept. But union officials called that offer a “shadow” of what the union got from negotiating with Bally's Atlantic City, Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah's Resort and Tropicana Atlantic City.

Complete terms of previous proposals were not released.

The union represents bartenders, servers, porters and other hospitality workers

Workers are not eligible for severance pay except for two executive-level employees who are not named in the notice but have agreements, according to the notice.

Source: Press of Atlantic City