Harry Hurley Late Breaking News

News Release
July 7, 2008
Contact: Bob McDevitt, 609 345-5400, ext. 135

Local 54 Members
Ratify Borgata Contract

Atlantic City . . . By a majority of 95%, union employees of the Borgata Resort Casino, members of UNITE HERE Local 54 agreed to a five-year contract. The agreement, which includes Boyd Gaming’s new tower, The Water Club, becomes effective immediately and includes retroactive employee payments and benefits dating back to September, 2007. The union had been working under a contract extension since that time.

“This fair and equitable agreement is the result of intense negotiations that began more than eight months ago,” said C. Robert McDevitt, President of Local 54. “The contract deals with the subjects of wages, health care and retirement benefts and issues such as grievances, organizing, seniority, sick leave and other language that will serve as guidelines when this union and the remaining Atlantic City casino hotels come to the bargaining table, later in the year.”

The bargaining process was carried out by a team from UNITE HERE Local 54 consisting of union officers and staff as well as union members working at Borgata as well as other union properties.

“I have to both congratulate and thank our committee as well as the team from Borgata/Boyd Gaming. In spite of some serious disagreements over several issues, there was never any indication of hostility evidenced by either party. The fact that these negotiations took more than eight months indicates that this carefully worked-out and sensitive document was not a ‘slam-dunk,’ said McDevitt.