Horseshoe Casino dealers strike for union recognition
By Hernan Gutierrez
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SHELBYVILLE, Indiana (WISH) — Despite the rain, dozens of workers at Horseshoe Casino Indianapolis hit the picket line Sunday, marking the third day of their strike. More than 200 employees walked off the job on Friday.
The group of dealers and dual rates wants to form a union with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 135. Dual rates are employees who split their time between dealing and supervising.
They were scheduled to have a union election on October 17. However, because of the ongoing shutdown of the federal government, the National Labor Relations Board couldn’t oversee the vote.
Teamsters representatives say the union to have a third-party conduct the election, but the casino refused.
Dealer Trent Mitchem says he and his coworkers feel silenced.
“They’re just using the government shutdown as an excuse to not recognize our voices,” Mitchem said. “We’ve had some pretty poor working conditions in the past. [For example] there was a pipe that [burst], that we were forced to work through … we had to stay in our dealer uniforms, there was nothing we could do about it.”
Teamsters leaders say a strike for union recognition is fairly unprecedented in recent history, yet they stand behind their want-to-be members.
The union represents more than 5,000 gaming and casino workers across the country.
Rich Kurtz is among the workers trying to join those ranks.
“I used to love coming to work [at the casino,] Kurtz said. “Now, it’s the complete opposite … I can’t wait to get out of the building every night.”
Kurtz has been working at the Shelbyville casino since it started offering table games about 6 years ago. He says in that time, he’s only seen a $1 an hour raise.
“We’re just out here trying to get a seat at the table,” Kurtz said. “They’re hoping we will lose support from people being out here, and it’s not going to happen.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Mitchem, who says they’ll stay off the job until their coworkers get recognition as a union from the company.
“As long as it takes,” Mitchem said. “Rain, snow, 100 degrees, we’ll be out here. No problem.”
According to a Teamsters representative, more than 80% of the dealers and dual rates at the casino signed union cards — effectively showing the workers would have successfully formed a union if an election had taken place.
Caesars Entertainment, Horseshoe Casino’s parent Company, did not immediately respond to News 8’s request for comment.
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