CASINO TEAMSTERS LAUNCH STRIKE AT ENCORE BOSTON HARBOR

Casino Workers Represented by Teamsters Local 25 Demand Fair Contract

EVERETT, Mass., Sept. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 1,300 workers at Encore Boston Harbor, represented by Teamsters Local 25 and UNITE HERE Local 26, have been forced to go on strike after the company refused to bargain in good faith for a new contract.  

On Thursday, August 20, Teamsters voted 97 percent to authorize a strike if a fair contract wasn't reached. Encore Boston Harbor Teamsters are demanding a contract that delivers better wages, stronger benefits, and enhanced protections on the job.

"Encore management has pushed our members to the brink because they thought they could take our labor for granted," said Tommy Blitsch, Director of the Teamsters Convention, Trade Show, and Casino Division. "If Encore wants its casino running, it needs the workers who make it run. And the Teamsters are standing up and fighting back."

The group includes 211 Teamsters who work in the warehouse, horticulture, call center, cage cashiers, limo drivers, dispatchers, traffic attendants, valet and guest experience attendants. They are crucial to Encore's operations as a five-star resort.

"We make Encore a world-class resort that generates enormous profits because of our hard work," said James Atkins, lead gardener and chief steward at Local 25. "We didn't want to strike but we won't accept a contract that blatantly disrespects our labor. We're on the picket line and will stay out as long as it takes to get a fair deal." 

Encore took in $847 million in Boston last year, yet management refused to come back to the table and offer any meaningful improvements, even after the strike authorization vote.

"Encore slow-walked negotiations and played games with our members, and now they're going to see how big of a mistake that was," said Thomas G. Mari, President of Local 25. "When a company refuses to respect the workers who make its profits possible, we shut it down. The Teamsters don't cross picket lines and won't be intimidated."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:
Maura Drumm, (215) 510-3735
[email protected]

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SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters