Everett City Council Moves to Back Striking Encore Boston Harbor Workers
The Everett, Massachusetts City Council took up a resolution backing striking Encore Boston Harbor workers at its regularly scheduled meeting on September 14, as the roughly 1,350-worker walkout against Wynn Resorts entered its second week.
The resolution
Councilor Peter Pietrantonio introduced Resolution C 0197-26, expressing the council's support for Teamsters Local 25 and UNITE HERE Local 26 members in securing new contracts with Encore Boston Harbor's management. Ahead of the vote, union members addressed the council to explain why they believe they deserve better wages and health care benefits. Mayor Robert Van Campen backed the workers' position, saying, "Encore is an important part of Everett. But so are the people who show up every day and make it successful." Councilor Michele Capone pressed casino management directly, asking, "Are you saying Everett residents are not five-star?"
Background on the strike
Housekeepers, cooks, servers, bartenders, slot attendants, warehouse workers, and drivers at the casino walked out on September 4, after contract talks stalled. The unions are seeking roughly $10-per-hour in raises phased in over four years, along with guaranteed healthcare, pension protections, and job security language. City officials have also pointed to Encore's relatively modest local hiring: about 567 Everett residents, roughly 17% of the property's workforce, according to figures cited by council members. Wynn Resorts spent $68 million remediating the property's contaminated waterfront site before opening and has committed to $25 million in annual host community payments to Everett.
Why it matters to a US casino player
Labor disputes at major Northeastern casino properties tend to draw regional political attention quickly, and local government resolutions like this one — while not legally binding on either the union or the operator — signal how much pressure a host municipality is willing to apply during contract talks. For players and visitors, ongoing picketing and staffing disruptions are the most immediate practical effect while the dispute continues.