But in the current climate, they say, workers need higher pay to keep up with the rising cost of gasoline, food, rent and other expenses. In previous contracts, union leaders say, they focused more on maintaining health care benefits at the expense of salary gains. The union has said it is seeking a “significant” salary increase as part of its next contract, but has not publicly revealed the amount it wants. “We need to pay well to retain the workers we already have.”
“I don’t believe in this day and age there are any workers out there to bring in,” she said. Joyce predicted the casinos would have a hard time providing basic services if the union went on strike this weekend. It reopened in 2018 as the Hard Rock under new ownership. That strike, over health care and pension benefits, forced the casino to close.
