President Casino workers push for benefits
ST. LOUIS — With less than a week until the President Casino shuts its doors, the union representing workers there turned up the heat Monday over benefits for those who will lose their jobs.
About 25 casino workers gathered at a north St. Louis church to urge Pinnacle Entertainment to give retention or severance benefits to the more than 200 employees who still work at the soon-to-close riverboat casino. They say Pinnacle, when it agreed to close the President, told workers they would receive either severance or jobs at one of the company’s two other casinos. But the company later backed away from that offer.
It is a slap in the face, say employees, many of whom have worked at the riverboat since it opened in 1994.
"We just want to know what we’ve done wrong," said Pamela Perry, a cage cashier who was turned down for jobs at both Lumière Place and River City. "We want answers."
The issue has been a sore spot for months, with the union — Unite Here Local 74 — holding rallies and trying to gather local support, accusing Pinnacle of dumping its President employees. On June 3, a worker filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accusing Pinnacle of age discrimination for refusing to hire many President employees over age 40 at its other casinos. And the union has asked three area congressmen to investigate.
Pinnacle says it is not that simple. It says only 63 President employees have applied for jobs at Lumière or River City since December, and it has hired 20 since March. It held a job fair and training programs, but relatively few employees came, said Jack Godfrey, the company’s general counsel.
And in a statement Monday, Pinnacle said the union could have helped save jobs by being a stronger ally when the Missouri Gaming Commission was trying to close the casino early this year.
"We wish that Local 74 really had exhibited the same zest in keeping the property open that they are now displaying with an advertising and web campaigns against Pinnacle," Godfrey said in a statement.
The sharp words came as the two sides prepared to meet today for more talks on a severance package. It is just the first sit-down they have had in a month. With the President set to close Monday, time is running out. But Dave Morton, an organizer with the union, said Local 74 would keep pushing.
"This fight doesn’t end on June 28."
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Jacob Barker of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.