State Senator Sonny McCullough...

March 2007

On the political front, the vote that propelled Sonny McCullough into the New Jersey state senate from the Republican Club of Atlantic County, was a huge blow to former New Jersey state senator Bill Gormley, who wanted Frank Blee to get the seat he retired from.

McCullough will now most likley face Jim Whelan next year in the race for the seat he now holds. But don’t look for that race to be vicious as the two men are long-time friends despite their political differences. McCullough once wooed Whelan to leave the Democratic Party and join the Republican Party when Whelan was having his troubles in Atlantic City from the likes of Craig Calloway.

Unions gaining momentum in AC...

The word is spreading through the casinos like a wildfire - union.

And all eyes are on the dealers at Caesars Atlantic City as they will vote in mid-March on whether or not they want union representation from a union with its roots in the UAW.

The dealers at the Hilton and Resorts are also close to a union vote, as they have been signing cards for union representation.

And now you can add security guards to the mix as union rumblings are coming from them.

What is going on here?

Since the inception of casino gaming in 1978, Atlantic City casinos have previously thwarted some halfhearted union attempts. But the latest movement appears to be a real threat as there are many disgruntled dealers and employees in town.

An investigation by The Insider has revealed that the primary reason for the latest union movement is health care. Apparently, the biggest spark that set off the Caesars dealers came when their health plan was changed, which resulted in the dealers having to pay more for their health care plan. That, coupled with some already festering frustrations over policies from Harrah's, which now owns Caesars, has also fueled the union movement.

You can bet that a lot of eyes in Atlantic City will be watching when the dealers vote in mid-March.

Any time there is a union movement in a high profile business such as Caesars Atlantic City, the NLRB watches closely. There are strict legal guidelines as to what the company can do as the union vote approaches, and tensions are running high at Caesars Atlantic City right now. What is interesting about the entire scenario is that Bally's, the major piece of the Harrah's empire, is not being organized right now.

Some casino observes suggest that Bally's executive Ken Condon has kept the union movement out because of his policies, which are dealer-friendly, and reward all employees for performing at a high level. Condon has been able to adapt to Harrah's takeover, which some predicted might not happen.

Right now the most powerful union in the city is Local 54, which represents the bartenders, cocktail servers and hospitality employees.

That union, under the direction of Bob McDevitt, has to also be watching closely as the dealers at Caesars get ready to vote.

One thing is clear - a certified union representing all the casino dealers in the city would be one powerful organization, with the ability to shut down the city's major industry.

And there are some who suggest that a few AC casino execs inside the Harrah's organization, who were there previous to the takeover, might actually want the casino union vote to succeed to wake Harrah's up.

The Insider is written by a prominent local business person who chooses to remain anonymous at this time. The opinions and news bites are that of The Insider and do not necessarily reflect the positions or views of this magazine, it's staff, or its publisher.