Union plans to organize under Mashantucket law after casino vote

Monday, August 2, 2010  

A union said it would organize under tribal law at the casino owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut.

Bartenders, bar porters and bar servers at the Foxwoods Resort Casino. voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers. The election took place under the supervision of the National Labor Relations Board but the president of the local chapter said the union will follow tribal law when it negotiates a bargaining agreement.

The tribe opposed the NLRB's jurisdiction on the reservation and said it would continue to defend its sovereignty. "It is the policy of the United States to encourage and support tribal self-government. Mashantucket Pequot laws provide a fair process for employees to select union representation and pursue collective-bargaining if they so desire," the tribe said in a statement, The New London Day reported.

Get the Story:
Casino beverage workers unionize (The Norwich Bulletin 8/2)
Bartenders elect new union at Foxwoods (The New London Day 8/1)
Foxwoods Bartenders Vote To Form Union (The Hartford Courant 8/1)
Conn. casino bartenders, others vote to unionize (AP 8/1)

Related Stories:
Mashantucket Tribe filed appeal over union vote at casino on time (7/26)
Mashantucket Tribe fails to appeal NLRB ruling for vote at casino (7/23)
Mashantucket Tribe to appeal NLRB decision over union at casino (7/9)
Labor decision against Pequot Tribe was made by disputed NLRB (7/8)
Supreme Court bars two-member NLRB from making rulings (6/17)