LINCOLN – Bally’s Corp. and the union representing Twin River Casino workers Thursday agreed to extend their current contract, which was set to expire Friday, for another two weeks.
On June 28, the casino’s unionized employees overwhelming voted to authorize a strike, giving its bargaining team the power to enact this measure if Unite Here Local 26 and Bally’s could not come to an agreement on a new contract.
The union said workers were prepared to strike as early Friday.
After Wednesday’s negotiations, the union and Bally’s now have until July 14 at midnight to reach a new agreement, said Local 26 spokesperson Lynette Ng.
Twin River Casino employees say that Bally’s has refused to meet its key demands for increased staffing, more full-time work opportunities and wage increases that reflect a rising cost of living.
Since the pandemic, Bally’s has cut its full-time unionized workforce from around 200 positions to 64 and reduced the number of available shifts, Valerie Costa, a bartender/cocktail server at Bally’s, told PBN earlier this week. The union’s tipped employees have also not received a raise in nine years, she added.
Bally’s spokesperson Patti Doyle Thursday said that the company was “pleased to announce a two week contract negotiations extension with our Unite Here colleagues to continue to seek resolution on outstanding issues.”
On the same day as the strike authorization vote, Bally’s announced that it will sell two Rhode Island casino properties and buildings, Twin River Casino in Lincoln and Tiverton Casino & Hotel in Tiverton, to Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. for $1 billion in a lease-back transaction.
The company reached a similar deal with Gaming & Leisure Properties in April, selling two of its casino properties and buildings in Illinois for $150 million in a lease-back agreement.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
