"The sickout at Foxwoods Resort Casino threatened for New Year's Eve failed to materialize, and for good reason: While there is worker dissatisfaction with aspects of employment, the overwhelming number of workers understand that hurting their employer -- which a massive sickout would have done -- is no way to improve pay or benefits.

Tribal spokesman Bruce MacDonald said a total of 392 workers failed to show up New Year's Eve, and, normally, about 100 workers would call in sick for a shift.

Foxwoods employs some 11,000 workers, about 3,700 per shift, so the loss of 392 workers over two shifts clearly was not significant.

The sickout was threatened apparently by a small group of workers, given the response. The Web site madatfoxwoods.com was the source of the anonymous sick-out call.

The complaints cited on the Web site are legitimate, according to Steve Getchell, who heads up the 76-member Employee Group Council, which represents all departments and acts as a liaison between workers and management. Getchell emphasizes neither he nor the employees group endorsed the sickout, and his group and management are working to resolve complaints.

It would seem the complainers are grousing about the speed of management's response to their issues."

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Our view: Foxwoods, employees are talking, working out issues (The Norwich Bulletin 1/7)