Atlantic City casino smoking opponents are fighting senator's office
Opponents of smoking at Atlantic City casinos gathered outside the office of a senator they claimed had abandoned their support on Wednesday but were invited indoors in the freezing weather.
CEASE members, Casino Employees Against the Impact of Smoking and table game dealers represented by the UAW union visited New Jersey Sen. Vince Polistina (R-Atlantic) Office in Egg Harbor Town. Opponents of casino smoking were unhappy with Polistina's agreement to give casinos time to work out possible compromises, one of the early ideas being to require the creation of fully enclosed smoking rooms.
The casino argued that enforcing a "total smoking ban" in its gaming halls would result in lost revenue and massive layoffs. They said enclosed smoking rooms separate from non-smoking play areas would resolve the dispute, with only workers willing to work in such a smoking environment issuing cards and tending the spaces in the barrier.
CEASE says it's a load of rubbish.
"They wanted to build smoking rooms staffed by volunteers. We were 'voluntarily' told to go in," said Pete Naccarelli, 27, a Borgata table game dealer with the Atlantic City CEASE chapter principal. Naccarelli's remarks from the state senator's office were first reported by Atlantic City News.
CEASE members told senators that the casino had sent a pregnant woman and a co-worker who was battling cancer to the smoking booth.
Senator defends position
Polistina initially supported state legislation that would have forced Atlantic City's nine casinos to require smokers to light fires outside. He has attended "Stop" rallies in the past and is clearly one of the grassroots coalition's strongest allies.
I've been with you from the beginning, I've stood with you at rallies, I've stood with you in Trenton," Polistina said. "I agree that smoking should be prohibited in all indoor spaces in New Jersey. "
Polistina blamed political politics for his change. He said South Jersey's Democratic delegation lost seats in recent elections, raising the possibility of a blanket smoking ban.
Polistina said he would still vote for the casino smoking ban if the Senate came to a vote. But in December, he said he supported allowing casinos to develop solutions that could circumvent sweeping smoking bans.
"Casinos believe that by implementing structured plans and making additional capital investments in their properties over the next several years, they can achieve their goal of eliminating secondhand smoke exposure for employees and guests," Polistina said last month. "Given their commitment to The concern of possible job losses and closures resonates with some legislators, and I think we need to move in that direction so we don't lose momentum on this issue."
Unions also have a responsibility, senators say
While the UAW supports the smoking ban because its casino members are on the front lines handing out cards, Unite Here Local 54 does not.
Local 54 represents many more Atlantic City casino workers than the UAW, but its members work primarily in resort operations. These jobs include waiters, bartenders, cooks, porters and housekeepers.
Local 54 sided with the casinos, arguing that the smoking ban would result in smokers being moved to casinos in Philadelphia, where state law allows smoking on up to half of the gaming floors. Harrah's, live! Rivers Casino still allows smoking, while Parx Casino prohibits smoking. In 2023, Parx was the top-grossing casino among Pennsylvania's 17 casino markets.
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Source: www.casino.org
