Meadows casino workers join UNITE HERE and win first contract

UNITE HERE represents workers throughout the U.S. and Canada who work in:

January 30, 2010

Last August workers at the Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington County Pennsylvania organized and won their union when over 80% chose to join UNITE HERE. Led by a strong and committed negotiating committee, these workers are now celebrating the ratification of an outstanding first contract.

To prepare for negotiations the committee surveyed hundreds of their coworkers, and held large and small department meetings in the employee dining room.

"We wanted everyone to have a chance to get involved and to know what was going on," said committee leader and EVS worker Sam Doman "By the time we went into negotiations we knew what was important to our coworkers, what they needed in the contact."

The outstanding three-year agreement, which covers 500 workers, achieves all of the committee's goals.

Being part of a national union of gaming workers is also important to the committee. Committee leader Linda Franell, a cashier in the food court, said, "It matters that our union is UNITE HERE. Being in the same union with gaming workers across the country gives us power to support each other."

The Meadows is located 30 minutes outside of Pittsburgh.

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