(The Associated Press circulated the following story on October 19.)
ATLANTIC CITY — Thousands of striking casino and hotel workers staged a peaceful rally this weekend to protest stalled contract talks with seven city casinos, but their union president and two other men were arrested after the marchers ignored a court order and took their protest to the street.
Pacific Avenue, one of the city’s major roadways, was shut down for nearly two hours on Saturday after the group of about 10,000 people — including casino workers from other cities who came to support the members of Local 54 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union — left the sidewalk and began marching on the highway.
A judge had issued an injunction that barred the group from marching in the street, and Local 54 President Robert McDevitt was charged with criminal contempt of court after authorities said he led the marchers into the street.
Kevin Kline of Las Vegas and Scott Cooper of Marshall, N.C., also were arrested at the scene, and a union spokesman told The Press of Atlantic City that the three men were released late Saturday night.
About 10,000 service workers — cocktail servers and hostesses, pastry cooks and cart attendants — walked off the job Oct. 1 at Harrah’s Atlantic City, Showboat Casino-Hotel, Resorts Atlantic City, Bally’s Atlantic City, Caesars Atlantic City, the Atlantic City Hilton and Tropicana Casino and Resort. The casinos are offering a five-year contract, but Local 54 and its national affiliate, UNITE HERE, want a three-year contract whose expiration date coincides with that of service workers in Las Vegas.
The two sides met Friday for the first time since the strike began, but the negotiations ended after only 45 minutes, with both sides unwilling to budge on their demands.