"It is one of the bright spots on the labor horizon"

The United Auto Workers and other unions have begun organizing at Foxwoods Resort Casino, a massive undertaking that Foxwoods is vigorously fighting with appeals to its 10,000 employees. In a letter to workers dated last Friday, John A. O'Brien, president of Foxwoods, said he was 'deeply concerned' about the efforts of organizers and urged employees not to sign authorization cards that would force a vote on union representation. 'Unions typically make all kinds of claims about how they will make things `better,'' O'Brien wrote. 'Everything, including the things you like most about working here, could be at risk.' Unions unsuccessfully tried to organize workers at Foxwoods, one of the state's largest employers, in the late 1990s. This time, union organizers appear to have two new advantages: a recent, favorable court ruling and signs of dissatisfaction among some workers. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in February that Indian tribes, though considered sovereign governments, must follow the National Labor Relations Act, including its rules giving employees the right to organize and bargain collectively. Foxwoods is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot tribe. Late last year, an anonymous group of employees encouraged casino workers to call out sick over the New Year's holiday to protest what they said were declining wages and benefits. Foxwoods management responded by changing some policies, but a website that promoted the sick-out - www.madatfoxwoods.com - continues to operate and now includes comments about unionizing. The United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as United Auto Workers, declined on Wednesday to confirm that it is organizing casino workers at Foxwoods. Read more