Citing health risks for dealers, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union in Atlantic City supports state efforts to outlaw smoking on casino floors. Casino worries about job losses are offset by bipartisan support for the legislation in the State House, where a grassroots organization called Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) fights for the health of workers.
UAW Is in Favor of Atlantic City Casinos Being Smoke-Free
A union that represents table game dealers in Atlantic City is in favor of legislation that would make smoking inside any of the nine gaming establishments illegal. Dealers at the three local casinos—Caesars, Bally's, and Tropicana—are represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW). It is a condition of their employment that they be exposed to secondhand smoke, which can be hazardous.
This week, state initiatives to close the smoking loophole in Atlantic City casinos were backed by Shawn Fain, the union's international president. The union is the 12th-biggest American labor union.
In testimony given to state legislators, UAW International President Shawn Fain highlighted the detrimental effects of secondhand smoke, which thousands of union members deal with on a daily basis. Dealers must endure customers blowing tobacco and cigarette smoke directly into their faces for the entirety of their eight-hour shift. They can't take their eyes off the table due to the thick smoke.
There are currently some areas on Atlantic City floors where smoking is permitted. No more than 25% of a casino's gaming floor may be devoted to tobacco smoking.
NJ Senate Lifts Smoking Ban in Casinos Notwithstanding Bipartisan Support
Legislation to overturn the casino smoking allowance granted by the 2006 New Jersey Smokefree Air Act has been sitting in the State House since 2021. The current legislation, Senate Bill 264 and Assembly Bill 2151, was introduced in January of 2022.
The same statutes already have enough cosponsors from both parties to pass out of their respective chambers. Despite SB264's widespread support, the Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee found that it still needed to advance the bill when it reviewed it on November 30.
The head of the Senate's health committee and the author of the legislation pertaining to casino smoking, state senator Joseph Vitale (D-Northern Middlesex), announced that he was just one vote away from obtaining the simple majority needed to advance the legislation. The casinos have provided feedback, claiming that a smoking ban would decrease gaming and lead to the loss of about 2,500 jobs. Republicans on the committee have said they need more time to think about this.
Unite Here Local 54, a labor union that represents about 10,000 workers in Atlantic City's resort industry, is biased in favor of the casinos. Unite Here supports non-gaming workers such as waitstaff, bartenders, cooks, porters, and housekeepers instead of gaming workers like the UAW does.
As stated by Local 54 President Donna DeCaprio in July, a casino smoking ban would be a suicide pact.
Employees at Casinos Put Health Before Paychecks in Anti-Smoking Campaign
Concerns about health are brought up by casino workers, including those represented by UAW, during the anti-smoking campaigns led by Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE).
In a statement to Casino.org, CEASE reiterates the long-standing battle against health overpays, echoing UAW President Shawn Fain. The ad highlights how important it is that worker safety be given top priority in all state workplaces.
