Afif Alakoum also contributed to this article.
A portion of the people interviewed asked if they could remain anonymous; we will respect their decision and not put their names in this article.
Costing nearly three billion dollars, Encore Boston Harbor opened its doors back in June of 2019 in Everett, Massachusetts. Grossing upwards of eight hundred and forty-seven million dollars in annual revenue, with their gross gaming revenue totalling about three billion dollars to date.
However, on September 4th, Encore Boston Harbor had more than 1,300 workers collectively start a worker’s strike, with many people asking the same question: Why?
Their Demands
Represented by UNITE HERE, Local 26, and Teamsters Local 25, Encore Boston’s workers have been on strike over 50 days, with negotiations between the parent company Wynn Resorts having yet to meet a middle ground.
Tracing back to August 31st, when the contract between Wynn and their employee’s contract expired, workers have been pushing for a $10-per-hour wage increase over the past four years, as well as a $25-per-hour starting minimum wage for newer workers. “All we want is fair wages, and we want dignity and respect,” expressed an anonymous chef.
Additionally, workers have been pushing for job security. “We would like to have clear job protection, which means job protection for us will be something in written contractual language,” expressed an anonymous barback.
In 2023 Encore faced a similar situation, yet an agreement was reached before a strike occurred. The anonymous barback reflected on this in relation to the current strike, “They hopefully will have a compromise to not do cuts after the contract, like they did in 2023.”
Workers have also been pushing for better healthcare. “Healthcare is the number one important thing for us,” expressed an anonymous hoster. “Our healthcare is in danger. So that’s the fight we want to encourage, to protect our healthcare.”
Those three main demands are the pillars of the workers’ continued determination through the long, stretching protest.
Wynn Resorts has reportedly only been in meetings with union leaders two times, with consistent refusal to meet Boston’s Baseline for similar work.
Many workers consider this the main reason for the strike’s longevity. “We didn’t have anything, no serious discussions on the table,” commented food service worker Freddy. “They are joking with us on a couple things, so that’s why we still have the strike.”
However, recently in a Casino.org article, a Wynn Resorts representative commented, “We put a significant economic proposal on the table in September. Since that time, we have been waiting for the unions’ response to move bargaining forward.”
Pushback against the September response has been apparent, with unions commenting that the proposal did not meet expectations set by workers.
Furthermore, Wynn Resorts has made multiple public statements regarding the condition of the Casino, stating the Casino remains “open, operational and welcoming guests.”
Overall, the strike has severely hampered operations and business at Encore Boston, with reports of a 22% decrease in gross revenue from the casino’s table and slot games and a 20% overall decrease in total revenue.
Additionally, recent reviews on all websites of Encore Casino continue to paint a gnarly path forward for Wynn Resorts, with many stating vastly increased waiting times, lack of room service, the majority of inside restaurants being closed, and misinformed customers about the strike’s severity. Many negative reviews share a common sentiment: “They should not be open during a strike.”
The strike continues to this date, with no sign of a middle ground being seen yet. However, with pressure from many negative reviews as well as a sharp decline in profits from previous months, it is possible the strike may end soon. “We’re striking for our survival in Massachusetts,” concluded a protester.
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