The strike by union workers at Trump Taj Mahal continues to show no signs that progress is being made, with the labor side picking up support as the Democratic National Convention began in nearby Philadelphia.
The Atlantic City resort and casino has seen members of UNITE HERE Local 54 picketing since the start of the month. The union is lobbying for reasonable health insurance, among other things, as it attempts to secure a better contract.
Democratic reps show up for union
A number of Democrats representing New Jersey in Congress showed up in support of the union during a rally last week. That included Reps. Donald Norcross, Frank Pallone and Bonnie Watson-Coleman.
From the Atlantic City Press:
Norcross chanted, “One more day,” with the pickets Sunday, sharing his patronage to their cause.
“Strikes are about will. It’s about how long you can stay here. I don’t think (Taj Mahal owner Carl) Icahn really is going to suffer today,” he said. “Nobody has ever come in here and tried to do what he is doing, so as tough as it gets, what are you going to do? One more day.”
That Democrats are siding with a union, of course, is not unusual, but the appearance of the congressmen and congresswomen provided a public relations boost for the strike’s cause.
Other unions show up, too
Unions are rallying to the Local 54’s side, too, as workers from a number of other major Northeastern cities descended upon Atlantic City.
The workers marched from Revel to the Taj Mahal in a show of solidarity.
New Jersey AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech said this in a press release as the unions showed up in AC:
“When hard working families are left behind, the future of Atlantic City is put in jeopardy. In order for Atlantic City to prosper, the workers who live, work, and raise their families here need to be part of the city’s recovery.
“Workers are fighting for living wages and health care, while billionaire Carl Icahn seeks to build his fortune on the backs of workers. New Jersey’s unions will stand together as long as it takes to ensure that the voice of the local community speaks louder than the voice of organized greed.”
Using Trump to highlight plight
The name of the Republican presidential nominee — Donald Trump — is obviously tied to the Taj Mahal, something the union is not shy about using to make its point.
That’s especially the case with the DNC down the road in Philly. The union met with the Democratic Labor Council, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal, and put Trump on blast on Monday.
Later that that day, Rep. Cory Booker joined in the fun while speaking at the DNC:
In Atlantic City, he got rich while his companies declared multiple bankruptcies. Yet without remorse, even as people got hurt by his failures, he bragged, “The money I took out of there was incredible.” Yes, he took out lots of cash but he stiffed contractors – many of them small businesses, refusing to pay them for the work they’d done.
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