(ALL 21) Suspended Tropicana employees return to work

[Omaha Steve]

Source: NBC40.net

ATLANTIC CITY -- The Tropicana workers suspended for participating in a civil disobedience action as part of a union protest last month, returned to work on Monday.

The 21 employees, who are all members of Unite Here Local 54 casino workers union, returned to work after their month-long suspension.

Back on June 15th, the union was protesting Tropicana's termination of an employee pension plan in favor or direct cash payments to workers. The protest ended with employees being arrested after they sat down in the roadway and stopped traffic.



Read more: http://www.nbc40.net/news/23180/

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More info: If you remember last month workers at the Tropicana in Atlantic City engaged in an act of civil disobedience and were suspended indefinably. The suspension was eventually lifted and all of the Trop21 come back to work today.

Tweet/pic of Rodney getting a hug from a fellow worker
https://twitter.com/UNITEHEREUnion/status/224899544507359233

Shari got flowers from a fellow waitress with a sign that says "United we stand"
https://twitter.com/UNITEHEREUnion/status/224900304234233856

And you can like and share on Facebook to welcome them back too
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=176611375805506&set=a.155900721209905.35018.155890457877598&type=1&theater



July 16, 2012
For Immediate Release
Twenty-One Tropicana Workers Suspended for Union Protest Return to Work

Contact
Ben Begleiter
203.668.6676

Atlantic City, NJ-The "Trop 21" were welcomed back to work today by their
co-workers as there month-long suspension ended. The 21 Tropicana Atlantic
City workers were suspended for participating in a civil disobedience action
as part of a union protest on June 15. All 21 are members of UNITE HERE
Local 54, the Atlantic City casino workers union.

"Now that our illegal suspension is over, we are going to continue the fight
for a fair contract from inside the Tropicana. If Tony Rodio thought a
suspension was going to silence us, he was wrong," said Rodney Mills, a 20
year food server at Tropicana.

"We've spent the past month being trained to be a union activist. You better
believe I'm ready to go back. The question is, 'Is Tropicana ready for
me?'"said Francine Stevenson, a 17 year housekeeper.

"It was wrong of Tropicana to stop negotiating with us, and it was wrong of
them to suspend us. We're going to keep fighting until we make things
right," said Shari Schugar, 30 year cocktail server.

"I'm so glad to have my co-workers back. We all know that their suspensions
were because of what they did to help all of us get a contract. It was wrong
of Tropicana to suspend them. Now that they are back, we're going to fight
harder to get the contract we deserve," said cocktail server Joanne
Lardizzone.

"Tropicana's behavior has been absolutely outrageous. These workers stood up
for their rights and were suspended for it. We are going to keep fighting at
the Tropicana until there's justice for these workers," said Bob McDevitt,
President of the 14,000 person union.


Background
UNITE HERE Local 54 members have been protesting at Tropicana since
Tropicana illegally imposed a contract proposal in February 2012. Workers
have held rallies, marches and other demonstrations at Tropicana. Local 54
called a boycott of the Tropicana that has been endorsed by the head of the
NJ State Democratic party.

On September 15, 2011 contracts between Local 54 and 9 casinos expired.
Tropicana is the only one not to have settled a new contract. There are two
additional casinos in Atlantic City without a contract: Resorts and Revel.

In 2004 after contract negotiations broke down, Local 54 members struck for
34 days at the Tropicana and six other casinos. In 2007, Local 54 opposed
the licensing of Tropicana, including about 1,100 at the Tropicana.