Casino Strike in N.J. Ruled Illegal; Judge Issues Back-to-Work Order

A strike by 11,000 casino-hotel workers was declared illegal Tuesday by a federal judge who ordered most of the strikers off the picket lines and back to work.

U.S. District Judge Stanley S. Brotman in Camden agreed with lawyers for five casinos that a five-year contract with Local 54 of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Bartenders International had not expired.

The contract, signed in 1983, included a provision allowing renegotiation of wages and benefits after three years.

But lawyers for the casinos argued that the contract required the bellhops, maids and restaurant workers to keep working even if there was no agreement on wages and benefits for the final two years, said Saul Kramer, a lawyer for the Atlantic City Casino Assn.

Brotman issued a temporary restraining order requiring employees at the five casinos to return to work, and said he would extend his ruling to the three other affected casinos as soon as their lawyers filed the proper papers.

Brotman scheduled further hearings for Sept. 30 and ordered both sides to undertake “expedited arbitration” in an effort to settle the dispute.

Union officials met Tuesday evening to discuss the ruling and declined to say immediately whether they would tell strikers to comply with the order.

The first widespread casino strike in Atlantic City’s eight-year history of legalized gaming began early Tuesday after Local 54 rejected an offer for a wage increase of about 1.6%.

The job action shut down most food and beverage service at eight of Atlantic City’s 11 casino-hotels, but officials said gaming continued uninterrupted.