More than 1,300 workers at Encore Casino in Boston go on strike

STRIKE ALERT: More than 1,300 workers at Encore Casino in Boston go on strike to demand a fair contract after 97% of workers represented by Teamsters Local 25 and UNITE HERE Local 26 voted to strike.
"When a company refuses to respect the workers who make its profits possible, we shut it down...We’re on the picket line and will stay out as long as it takes to get a fair deal."

CBS report on Sept. 4, 2026


1,300 Workers Have Been on Strike at Encore Boston Harbor | RONE - Sep 29, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRN6mMcjsec


At Massachusetts' most profitable casino, more than 1,300 workers are on the picket line — and they refuse to leave it.

On September 4, 2026, workers at Encore Boston Harbor walked out: Unite Here Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25, together — housekeepers, cooks, servers, bartenders, slot attendants, drivers, warehouse workers. Their contract expired August 31, and 97% of members had authorized a strike.

Their demands: $10 an hour raises over four years, $25 starting pay for every union job, guaranteed healthcare and pensions. Management says union workers already average nearly $96,000 a year in pay and benefits — and says the demands put jobs at risk.

The union's answer: "We give five-star service, and Wynn gives us a contract worse than a Hampton Inn."

City councils in Boston and Everett passed resolutions backing the workers. The union's message to the public: don't book the rooms, don't play the tables. As of September 29, 2026, the strike is still active — no return date announced.

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Back around 1981 there were rent strikes in Boston because rents were climbing fast.
This past year 1 in 4 rental apartments (144K) in the Atlanta, Georgia Metro Area (5 counties) have had eviction notices filed on them.

Quote: ChumpChange

.... Management says union workers already average nearly $96,000 a year in pay and benefits — and says the demands put jobs at risk...

Groaning... backbreaking labor under inhumane conditions... slot attendants and bartenders collapsing under fatigue... and all for a starvation wage of $96000 per year.

Isn't average rent on a Boston 1 bedroom something like $41,000/year?

That $96,000 figure includes the casinos' FICA and retirement contributions, health benefits, meals and possibly payroll taxes.

Quote: billryan

That $96,000 figure includes the casinos' FICA and retirement contributions, health benefits, and possibly payroll taxes.
link to original post

For a job not requiring any education the slot attendants are already very well paid . The cleaning people I don’t really know how much they make. They could fill the slot attendant jobs easily.People would be lining up for a job like that.

Quote: Dieter

Isn't average rent on a Boston 1 bedroom something like $41,000/year?
link to original post

Much less than that if you exclude the hoity-toity neighborhoods, where the elevator buttons only respond when pressed with a raised pinky.

That's the deception when they cite averages. Consider all the rentals in a market to be on a bell curve of price/desirability. Some people are going to be on the right side of that bell curve, and others on the left side. I would ask these casino workers: "Lots of working people live in cheap, run-down apartments in dangerous neighborhoods. What is it about you that entitles you to more than those people?"

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Quote: Dieter

Isn't average rent on a Boston 1 bedroom something like $41,000/year?
link to original post

Much less than that if you exclude the hoity-toity neighborhoods, where the elevator buttons only respond when pressed with a raised pinky.

That's the deception when they cite averages. Consider all the rentals in a market to be on a bell curve of price/desirability. Some people are going to be on the right side of that bell curve, and others on the left side. I would ask these casino workers: "Lots of working people live in cheap, run-down apartments in dangerous neighborhoods. What is it about you that entitles you to more than those people?"
link to original post

most of them don’t live in Boston anyway. A few I know live in Nh and have a 45 minute commute. Husband and wife making almost 200k a year. They didn’t want to go on strike but felt pressured.

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Quote: Dieter

Isn't average rent on a Boston 1 bedroom something like $41,000/year?
link to original post

Much less than that if you exclude the hoity-toity neighborhoods, where the elevator buttons only respond when pressed with a raised pinky.

That's the deception when they cite averages. Consider all the rentals in a market to be on a bell curve of price/desirability. Some people are going to be on the right side of that bell curve, and others on the left side. I would ask these casino workers: "Lots of working people live in cheap, run-down apartments in dangerous neighborhoods. What is it about you that entitles you to more than those people?"
link to original post

You and that attitude are the reason these people are on strike.

Quote: Hunterhill

Quote: billryan

That $96,000 figure includes the casinos' FICA and retirement contributions, health benefits, and possibly payroll taxes.
link to original post

For a job not requiring any education the slot attendants are already very well paid . The cleaning people I don’t really know how much they make. They could fill the slot attendant jobs easily.People would be lining up for a job like that.
link to original post

In a profitable business, the workers should be well paid. If for no other reason, it cuts down on turnover and training expenses.

Quote: Hunterhill

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Quote: Dieter

Isn't average rent on a Boston 1 bedroom something like $41,000/year?
link to original post

Much less than that if you exclude the hoity-toity neighborhoods, where the elevator buttons only respond when pressed with a raised pinky.

That's the deception when they cite averages. Consider all the rentals in a market to be on a bell curve of price/desirability. Some people are going to be on the right side of that bell curve, and others on the left side. I would ask these casino workers: "Lots of working people live in cheap, run-down apartments in dangerous neighborhoods. What is it about you that entitles you to more than those people?"
link to original post

most of them don’t live in Boston anyway. A few I know live in Nh and have a 45 minute commute. Husband and wife making almost 200k a year. They didn’t want to go on strike but felt pressured.
link to original post

Let's not kid ourselves. Housing isn't exactly cheap just over the NH line, despite the unofficial motto.

Quote: billryan

Quote: Hunterhill

Quote: billryan

That $96,000 figure includes the casinos' FICA and retirement contributions, health benefits, and possibly payroll taxes.
link to original post

For a job not requiring any education the slot attendants are already very well paid . The cleaning people I don’t really know how much they make. They could fill the slot attendant jobs easily.People would be lining up for a job like that.
link to original post

In a profitable business, the workers should be well paid. If for no other reason, it cuts down on turnover and training expenses.
link to original post

But how well is "well paid," until the business is no longer profitable? It's all to benefit the union thugs anyway. I've never been in a union but in the places I've worked that had one, the union was just another boss and another tax, from the perspective of the ordinary workers. That casino would probably be even more profitable with those workers pink-slipped out the door as they wheel in the slots and bubble craps, and automated roulette wheels.

Besides, most of the dealers suck anyway and not many are worth half of what they're making. At least in Vegas. Deal like tards (re- or do-), no speaka, bad attitudes, some I'm pretty sure did an edible before coming to work, and a lot of them entertain themselves by taking shots. How is somebody like that worth $100K? $20K and a mop, is what they're worth.

Quote: billryan

Quote: Hunterhill

Quote: billryan

That $96,000 figure includes the casinos' FICA and retirement contributions, health benefits, and possibly payroll taxes.
link to original post

For a job not requiring any education the slot attendants are already very well paid . The cleaning people I don’t really know how much they make. They could fill the slot attendant jobs easily.People would be lining up for a job like that.
link to original post

In a profitable business, the workers should be well paid. If for no other reason, it cuts down on turnover and training expenses.
link to original post

You don’t think 96,000 a year is well paid? Some of them made 110-120k last year. For a high school graduate I think that is very well paid.

So on strike a little over a month. Apparently casino floor mostly unaffected. A bunch of restaurants closed. Slower hotel services like maid/room service/front desk.

My AI assistant says the casino floor is often ‘packed’. If that’s the case, I don’t see management caving. The workers have already missed around 10% of their yearly income.

AI tells me that an average maid makes $40k a year at Boston Encore NOT INCLUDING tips!

The union claims this can be misleading. WAIT FOR THIS ‘LOGIC’. A maid may service a room for the first two days of a 3 day stay, but will not receive any tip, because the entire $10 was taken by the maid who cleaned it after the third day.

And for those questioning the $96k figure the EMPLOYER uses, yes, the employee sees far less than that in their paycheck. But it IS what the employee costs the casino.

I hope they come to an agreement soon. This isn’t good for the casino. And can’t be good for these bottom tier workers to keep going without paychecks.

Mediocre workers who show up are the backbone of many business plans.

Quote: KevinAA

https://www.casino.org/news/encore-boston-harbor-unions-say-theyve-met-twice-with-wynn/
link to original post

How sad. Those people look like they're not from here, and that they're being used.

I wonder how many of them realize they have every right to walk off that picket line and back to their $96K/yr jobs. Bet they've been told something other than that.

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Quote: KevinAA

https://www.casino.org/news/encore-boston-harbor-unions-say-theyve-met-twice-with-wynn/
link to original post

How sad. Those people look like they're not from here, and that they're being used.

I wonder how many of them realize they have every right to walk off that picket line and back to their $96K/yr jobs. Bet they've been told something other than that.
link to original post

Like they’d be ‘dealt with’ by a union thug!?

It IS unfair and intentionally misleading to call it a $96k/yr job, however. No one refers to their job in the terms of how much it costs the employer. Most employees (foolishly) just see their paycheck.

True story. 3 decades ago we paid our CRNA’s around $100k. My group had a spectacular pension set up; best recollection was each CRNA got around 12% put in at our group’s expense. One CRNA said she was underpaid, and a competitor group was offering $105k but NO pension. If you think it was easy for me to convince her our job was better you’d be wrong. The smart ones realized our total package was the best. I’m guessing there aren’t too many ‘smart ones’ on that picket line.

Quote: SOOPOO

The smart ones realized our total package was the best. I’m guessing there aren’t too many ‘smart ones’ on that picket line.

Sadly, there are not too many smart people on this rock we call Earth.

Quote: DRich

Quote: SOOPOO

The smart ones realized our total package was the best. I’m guessing there aren’t too many ‘smart ones’ on that picket line.

Sadly, there are not too many smart people on this rock we call Earth.
link to original post

Thankfully, wolves keep the sheep from overpopulating.

Quote: SOOPOO

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Quote: KevinAA

https://www.casino.org/news/encore-boston-harbor-unions-say-theyve-met-twice-with-wynn/
link to original post

How sad. Those people look like they're not from here, and that they're being used.

I wonder how many of them realize they have every right to walk off that picket line and back to their $96K/yr jobs. Bet they've been told something other than that.
link to original post

Like they’d be ‘dealt with’ by a union thug!?

It IS unfair and intentionally misleading to call it a $96k/yr job, however. No one refers to their job in the terms of how much it costs the employer. Most employees (foolishly) just see their paycheck.

True story. 3 decades ago we paid our CRNA’s around $100k. My group had a spectacular pension set up; best recollection was each CRNA got around 12% put in at our group’s expense. One CRNA said she was underpaid, and a competitor group was offering $105k but NO pension. If you think it was easy for me to convince her our job was better you’d be wrong. The smart ones realized our total package was the best. I’m guessing there aren’t too many ‘smart ones’ on that picket line.
link to original post

Isn't that just an assumption someone here is making though, that the $96K is the casino's payroll cost rather than compensation realized by the worker?

My reaction was to the picture in that article. Picketers are mostly Chinese women and of an age where they are unlikely to have been born here, being marched around like prisoners and yelled at by a big official looking guy with a megaphone. Other union officials sitting on the sidelines smoking cigs and talking to the press. It has a certain antebellum look to it and I'm not sure that was the look they were hoping for.