The battle over smoking in Atlantic City casinos was ramped up final week with proponents of an entire ban submitting a lawsuit to reverse an exemption for the business within the state’s clear air act.
Proponents argue that employees shouldn’t be subjected to secondhand smoke and the go well with comes after legislative efforts have stalled. Current legislation permits for smoking in solely 25% of a on line casino, however that space doesn’t should be separate from non-smoking areas. Some on line casino employees imagine it’s time for a change.
“If the legislators in Trenton won’t do their jobs, we’re going to take the decision out of their hands and into a courtroom,” assistant director of the native United Auto Workers (UAW) workplace Ray Jensen Jr. instructed the Associated Press. The union represents on line casino employees at Bally’s, Caesars, and Tropicana casinos.
Issue Continues To Divide Industry
Efforts to make all smoking in casinos unlawful have been underway within the state legislature during the last three years however have but to return to fruition. The lawsuit is a part of some new techniques supporters of a ban say they’re using.
The lawsuit, which names Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and the state well being commissioner as defendants, seeks to have the exemption dominated unconstitutional on equal safety and different grounds, in line with attorneys representing the supporters. Murphy has mentioned he would signal a ban into legislation if a invoice reached his desk.
Not all on line casino employees agree with banning smoking at casinos, nevertheless. Unite Here Local 54 President Donna DeCaprio, representing the town’s largest group of on line casino employees, lately sounded the alarm on falling in-person gaming income numbers the Atlantic City’s casinos have seen over the previous couple of months.
DeCaprio argues that now shouldn’t be the time to be enacting legal guidelines that will additional damage playing income that might have an effect on the town’s economic system and union members’ jobs.
“As lawmakers continue to proceed with the annual state budget process, representatives in the New Jersey Legislature must understand the perilous economic situation at hand for my members, and indeed all workers in Atlantic City,” she mentioned. “Not only is the overall in-person revenue troubling — but the size of the declines at some of the individual properties portends some serious instability for thousands of workers. The legislators need to take this into consideration as they consider policies that could compound the downward trends.”
Some within the business have sought compromises for the smoking problem, together with a phased-in method, the set up of particular air filtration methods, and enclosed gaming areas that enable smoking. So far, these efforts have been met with opposition from anti-smoking supporters.
“This is not the time to enact laws, such as a full smoking ban, that will further erode customer visitation and revenues to our properties,” Casino Association of New Jersey President Mark Giannantonio lately instructed the Press of Atlantic City.
