A bitter dispute between labor unions escalated Monday as the debate over smoking in Atlantic City’s nine casinos intensifies, pitting worker health against economic concerns.
Ray Jensen, assistant director of United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9, called for the resignation of Donna DeCaprio, president of Local 54 Unite Here, accusing her of neglecting casino workers’ safety by supporting smoking exemptions on gaming floors.
“She should be ashamed of herself. She should hand in her union card,” Jensen said, criticizing DeCaprio for not prioritizing workers against the potential health risks of secondhand smoke, as per the Associated Press.
DeCaprio defended her position, citing smoking sections’ disproportionate revenue generation, which accounts for up to 72% of in-person revenue despite occupying only 25% of casino floors. She warned that a total smoking ban could lead to closures, risking 25,000 union jobs.
“A balance needs to be reached that will both protect worker health and preserve good jobs,” DeCaprio said. “We are protecting our members against multiple casino closures and job losses. The UAW is eager to sacrifice the entire casino industry.”
The controversy revolves around New Jersey’s casino smoking exemption, which allows smoking on 25% of gaming floors, despite the state’s clean air laws. CEASE (Casino Employees Against Smoking’s Effects), a worker-led group, filed an appeal Monday challenging an August ruling that upheld the exemption.
While DeCaprio proposed improving ventilation and allowing employees to opt out of working in smoking sections, CEASE and other workers argue for a complete ban, citing rising cases of cancer and heart disease among casino staff.
Governor Phil Murphy has pledged to sign a smoking ban if it reaches his desk, although legislative efforts to that end have shown little to no progress thus far.
A 2022 report by consulting firm C3 Gaming challenges long-held beliefs about smoking’s economic benefits in casinos. The report found that smoke-free venues performed better than their smoking-allowed counterparts during the pandemic.
Rivers Casino in Philadelphia, smoke-free since August 2021, created outdoor patio spaces for smokers, avoiding the need for re-entry through security. Meanwhile, venues like Parx Casino in Pennsylvania and Empire City in Yonkers outperformed Atlantic City casinos in slot machine revenue.
The debate also reignited criticisms over labor unions’ historical ties to tobacco companies. Documents from the 1990s revealed that Philip Morris strategically courted unions like HERE (a predecessor of Unite Here) to oppose smoking bans, offering support in exchange for their advocacy against restrictions in hospitality settings.
Atlantic City’s dispute mirrors similar campaigns in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Virginia, reflecting a national shift of worker pressure toward smoke-free policies in casinos.
While Local 54 and the Casino Association of New Jersey argue a smoking ban could lead to job losses and reduced state tax revenue, opponents maintain that adapting to smoke-free policies is inevitable and beneficial.
“Casinos that went smoke-free appear to be performing better than their counterparts that continue to allow smoking,” the C3 Gaming report noted, challenging traditional industry assumptions.
