‘Five-Star Service on Hampton Inn Contract’: Encore Boston Harbor Workers Authorize Strike

Encore Boston Harbor is facing a worker strike if the Wynn Resorts property doesn’t meet the contract demands of its two largest employee unions. Union employees at Encore Boston Harbor celebrate after voting to authorize a strike at the Wynn Resorts casino in Everett, Mass. The labor groups say they won’t give the resort notice if they decide to walk off the job. (Image: Unite Here Local 26/Teamsters Local 25) Unite Here Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 represent some 1,350 workers employed as housekeepers, cooks, servers, bartenders, slot attendants, and warehouse workers at the casino resort in Everett, Mass. The labor groups are threatening to initiate a strike if Wynn Resorts doesn’t come to the bargaining table and agree to higher wages and healthcare and pension security. The organizations say a vote among their members this week came back in support of authorizing a strike should Wynn Resorts fail to negotiate in good faith. The unions will not give Wynn Resorts a heads-up if they decide to walk off the job. “We’re not asking for anything unreasonable,” said Sem Avdic, a warehouse worker and Teamsters Local 25 member. “We’re asking to be respected and fairly compensated. Nobody wants to strike.” Carlos Aramayo, Unite Here Local 26 president, had harsher words for Wynn Resorts. We hold the cards because we do the work. We give five-star service, and Wynn gives us a contract worse than a Hampton Inn. Boston is not Wynn’s piggy bank. Wynn can end this whenever it chooses, with a fair contract,” Aramayo declared. As previously reported, Encore Boston Harbor generated 2025 revenue of $846.9 million, with gaming accounting for $629.2 million. The property’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), a commonly used metric to measure financial performance and profitability, was $236.7 million, though that marked a 4.2% decline from 2024. What Do the Unions Want? The Unite Here Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 contracts expire on Aug. 31. The unions are seeking $10 per hour wage increases over four years, an increase to the $25 an hour base pay, securities that protect existing health care benefits, and pension guarantees for longer-serving employees. Though Encore Boston Harbor is across the Mystic River from Boston in Everett, the region is among the most expensive places to live in the US. A study published last week by financial tech firm SmartAsset concluded that a family of four in Massachusetts needs to earn $329,555 a year to live comfortably. That’s the highest in the nation. “We’re proud of what we built at Encore, and we take pride in the work we do every day. We work hard to make this company successful, and we believe we deserve a fair contract that allows us to provide for our families,” Avdic added. Public Plea The unions are urging the public to boycott Encore Boston Harbor if a strike is initiated. “This is a union town. Teamsters don’t cross picket lines, and neither does Boston. If our members are on that sidewalk, we’re asking every worker and every family in this city to stand with them,” said Thomas Mari, president of Teamsters Local 25. “While they’re out, stay out,” Mari declared. A Wynn Resorts spokesperson said previously that the company “is built on the fundamental philosophy that only talented and empowered employees, working in an environment in which they feel valued and well compensated, can deliver our signature Wynn and Encore guest experiences.” The post ‘Five-Star Service on Hampton Inn Contract’: Encore Boston Harbor Workers Authorize Strike appeared first on Casino.org.