Hotel Trades Council workers celebrate upon hearing the news that their union just finalized an arbitration settlement with Resorts World Casino to significantly raise their salaries. Workers will eventually earn $60,000 per year.,JACK MILLER/MILLER PHOTO
They’re doubling down on their workforce.
Employees of the city’s first “racino” are set to receive a massive pay increase in a deal between the operator and a prominent labor union, officials said Monday.
Under the new agreement with the Hotel Trades Council, Resorts World Casino New York City will increase the salaries of 1,400 of its 1,750 employees to more than $60,000 per year — doubling the take for some of those workers, officials said.
The agreement between the Malaysia-based operator and the Hotel Trades Council, decided by an arbitrator after a year of negotiations, comes one week ahead of a statewide vote on whether to legalize full-fledged casino gaming.
If the Empire State elects to legalize Vegas-style gambling, it needs to be accompanied by an influx of middle-class jobs, said Peter Ward, president of the Hotel Trades Council.
“We have created a blueprint that will set a standard for future contracts with the gaming industry throughout the state,” Ward said.
“This is an expectation,” he added. “If we’re going to give you license to run a billion-plus-dollar-a-year operation, we expect the people to be taken care of as part of the deal.”
A buffet cook at the Aqueduct racino has been earning a meager $12.28 per hour. That will immediately be bumped up to $22.99.
By 2016, a full-time kitchen worker will earn $57,679 annually, plus free family health care and paid time off, union officials said.
“This is just life-changing,” said a jubilant Adrian Soto, a security guard who was earning $11 per hour and now earns more than $22 per hour. “I’m practically in tears right now.”
Soto, of Bushwick, said he was behind on his bills and struggling to support his 9-year-old son, and 7-year-old daughter.
“The rent was always late,” he said. “Just to get a Metrocard was a hassle.”
The racino has been a cash-cow for the state since it opened in October 2012, raking in more than $1.3 billion in revenue, state Lottery data shows. Of that money, 44% goes into a state education fund, 14.5% goes toward the N.Y. Racing Association, and 10% goes toward the state Lottery.
Having poured nearly $840 million into state coffers — and more than $567 million of that sum into the state’s education fund — the project has been touted as a smashing success.
The project has also been touted as a job creator, but prior to this settlement critics rightly charged that the majority of workers were not earning a living wage.
Resorts World officials said they would abide by the decision.
“We respect and will implement the arbitrator’s award as required and will continue to focus our efforts on improving our facility,” said a racino spokeswoman.
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