About 400 unionized workers at the Hollywood Casino Toledo are threatening to strike on Thursday at midnight if they can’t get a new labor agreement with the casino.
They have been working under a contract extension since Dec. 1, said Tony Totty, president of United Auto Workers Local 14 in Toledo who is supporting the hourly casino workers.
The UAW represents about 200 of the workers, including dealers, slot machine attendants, and others, while the United Steelworkers represents the other 200 hourly casino workers.
The parties were bargaining as of late Tuesday afternoon, said Eric Sweeney, staff representative for International Steelworkers Local 1-346, and talks were moving “very, very, very slow.”
Another 400 unionized workers at Hollywood Casino Columbus also are going down to the wire on contract talks, Mr. Totty said.
“If there’s no progress, we may as well get the burn barrels ready,” Mr. Totty said of picket lines that will go up in frigid weather if a strike happens Thursday. Low temperatures in the single digits are expected both Thursday and Friday, with snow and wind Friday.
The casinos are owned by Penn Entertainment Inc., one of the nation’s largest casino and gaming companies.
Mr. Totty said dealers at the Toledo casino earn a base hourly wage of $6.36 and can collect tips from patrons. The union is fighting for a base wage of $7.35, which is minimum wage in Ohio, he said.
With tips, workers average about $20 an hour or $41,600 annually. The unions also are fighting for health care benefits that do not cost so much out-of-pocket for workers.
The workers are coming off a three-year agreement that expired on Dec. 1, but was extended to try to get a deal done.
A strike, should it occur, would happen just as the casinos are in the midst of the busy holiday season, Mr. Totty said.
Other Toledo-area unions were planning to show solidarity with the UAW and USW workers by wearing union T-shirts to the casino in groups on Wednesday and Thursday.
A spokesman for Penn declined to comment Tuesday.
Penn, based in Wyomissing, Pa., operates more than 40 casinos and other gambling locations around the country and four in Ohio.
In the third quarter that ended in September, the company reported net income of $123 million and revenue of $1.6 billion, both higher than the same quarter in 2021. CEO Jay Snowden called it a “solid quarter.” Overall in 2021 the company reported about $420 million in net income on $5.9 billion in revenue.
Workers at Hollywood Casino Toledo voted to unionize in 2013, forming a joint council of the UAW and USW. It was part of a push by unions to organize several Ohio casinos, The Blade reported. Penn voluntarily recognized the union.
First Published December 20, 2022, 9:53 p.m.
