As the workers’ strike at Encore Boston Harbor continues into its second week, elected officials around the region are seeking to put pressure on casino management by refusing to cross the picket line and encouraging the public to do the same.
The Boston City Council on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution vowing to “honor the strike by not dining, conducting meetings, or staying” at the casino resort in Everett until an agreement is reached, with dozens of workers in attendance.
“Boston residents work at businesses throughout the region, including Encore,” said City Councilor Henry Santana, who sponsored the measure with Councilors Sharon Durkan and Gabriela Coletta Zapata. “The working conditions of employees throughout Greater Boston have a direct impact on our residents and regional economy.”
Boston’s move follows similar decisions in other jurisdictions. The Somerville City Council passed a resolution standing with workers last week, and the Everett City Council unanimously passed its own on Monday night.
An Encore spokesperson wrote in a statement to the Globe that the casino respects “the right of elected officials to express their views.”
“Our responsibility is to protect the long-term future of this resort and the thousands of jobs it supports,” the statement continues. “We remain focused on reaching an agreement that is fair, financially sustainable, and allows Encore Boston Harbor to remain a strong employer and community partner for years to come.”
More than 1,300 workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 have been on strike since Sept. 4, after their contract expired Aug. 31. Workers range from slot attendants and waitstaff to grounds staff, housekeepers, and delivery drivers.
The unions said there hasn’t been meaningful progress in negotiations since the strike began. They’re seeking a $10 wage increase for non-tipped workers and a $5 wage increase for tipped workers over the next three years, and they claim Encore’s operator, Wynn Resorts, has offered less than half those rates. Hourly wages at Encore run from $15 to $32, and tipped workers are paid less than that, according to the union.
Unions claim the strike has affected operations for the casino resort. Valet parking is closed, and Encore’s free water shuttle is also closed. Both services are staffed by union workers.
“I just feel Encore’s not playing fair,” said Everett City Councilor Peter Pietrantonio, who represents the district in which Encore sits and sponsored his city’s resolution. “They want to call themselves Encore Boston, but they don’t want to pay [a Boston] rate.”
The Everett City Council voted to renew Encore’s hotel license in June, though councilors questioned the casino resort’s representatives on a perceived lack of benefits the casino had promised to bring to the city’s businesses and residents when it opened in 2019.
Pietrantonio told the Globe there was “nothing that Encore wants to do for Everett anymore.” He said more than 500 Everett residents work at Encore, and that he hopes to call casino representatives again to a future City Council meeting to speak on what direction negotiations are going.
“It’s unfortunate that they’re not living up to their part, not paying the people they should,” he said.
Local, state, and federal elected officials have also joined workers on the picket line, including Representative Ayanna Pressley, who spoke to workers on Labor Day. Everett Mayor Robert Van Campen also came to the picket line during the first week of the strike and wrote in a statement to the Globe that he “stand[s] with the workers exercising that right” to strike.
Karyna Cheung can be reached at karyna.cheung@globe.com.