Twin River strike ends after only a few minutes

LINCOLN – About nine hours after negotiations began and barely seven minutes after a scheduled walkout started, the union representing Twin River Casino food and beverage workers reached a tentative agreement with casino management, averting a strike.

Members of Unite Here Local 26 on Tuesday and Wednesday had voted 327-5 to authorize a strike, due to changes to employee health care plans that took effect in January. The union set a strike deadline of 4 a.m. on Friday.

A joint statement that Twin River Management Group and Unite Here Local 26 released on Friday morning states that the parties “are pleased to announce a settlement agreement. All employees will return to work and focus on providing an outstanding entertainment and gaming experience for our guests.”

Union workers were planning to strike on the basis of a January change in United Health plans that they say resulted in higher deductibles and less coverage. This was done without collective bargaining and prior to the expiration of the union’s five-year collective bargaining agreement in April, which the union contends violated fair labor practices.

Unite Here Local 26 President Brian Lang told The Call Friday that on Thursday at 5 p.m., Twin River Management Group “came in with a different attitude, and it was clear that they came in making a serious effort to negotiate an agreement that would be mutually beneficial.”

By 4 a.m., employees were leaving their posts in the casino to join the strike line, which had 50-100 workers picketing by the time the announcement of the agreement was made, Lang said.

He declined to release details of the agreement at this time.

“We have ratification meetings tomorrow at 10 and 3,” Lang said, “and out of respect for our members, we want to present it to them first at the ratification meetings, allow them to digest it, ask their questions.”

He said the negotiating committee will unanimously recommend approval of the agreement to the members, who will vote by secret ballot.

The committee feels that “with this agreement, we’ve reached all of our goals that we set out.”

Ultimately, Lang felt that the company “stepped up to the plate” and “negotiated in a fair and honorable way at the end of the day.”