Casino workers strike at Encore Boston Harbor after contract talks stall

More than 1,300 workers at the Encore Boston Harbor casino in Everett, Massachusetts, walked off the job on September 4 after their contract expired and negotiations with management broke down.

The workers are represented by Teamsters Local 25 and UNITE HERE Local 26. Their previous contract expired on August 31, and members had voted 97 percent on August 20 to authorize a strike if no new agreement was reached. The Teamsters portion of the bargaining unit includes 211 workers in warehouse, horticulture, call center, cage cashier, limo driver, dispatcher, traffic attendant, valet and guest experience roles.

Workers are seeking wage increases of $10 an hour over three years for non-tipped employees and $5 an hour over three years for tipped employees, a rate they say would bring their pay in line with other unionized hotels and casinos in the Boston area. The unions are also seeking stronger benefits and expanded workplace protections.

Union members work across the resort’s casino floor, hotel, restaurants and grounds. The Teamsters portion of the unit alone spans warehouse staff who move supplies through the property, horticulture workers who maintain its landscaping, cage cashiers who handle money on the gaming floor, and limo drivers and valet attendants who move guests in and out of the resort.

Thomas G. Mari, president of Teamsters Local 25, said the union’s position is straightforward. “When a company refuses to respect the workers who make its profits possible, we shut it down,” he said.

Tommy Blitsch, director of the Teamsters Convention, Trade Show and Casino Division, said management had misjudged its workforce. “Encore management has pushed our members to the brink because they thought they could take our labor for granted,” he said.

James Atkins, the lead gardener at Encore and chief steward for Local 25, connected the strike to the resort’s earnings. “We make Encore a world-class resort that generates enormous profits because of our hard work,” he said.

Encore Boston Harbor is operated by Wynn Resorts and sits on the waterfront in Everett, just north of Boston. It opened in June 2019. According to Wynn Resorts’ filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the property generated $847 million in revenue in 2025.

Kamal Nadir, one of the striking workers, described the demands in simple terms. “We just want a fair contract. We’re not asking for something crazy. We want more job security. We want to match Boston pay, and we want healthcare,” he said.

More than 100 workers were still picketing outside the resort on September 5, the day after the walkout began, and said they planned to stay on the line through the holiday weekend until a deal is reached.

An Encore Boston Harbor spokesperson said the company is “committed to finding common ground that is fair, financially sustainable and protects jobs for the long term.” According to the Teamsters, management had not returned to the bargaining table as of that weekend, even after the strike authorization vote the previous month.

Everett Mayor Robert J. Van Campen said he hoped the two sides would resolve the dispute. “My hope is that these parties can get back to the table and get this done so these folks can get back to work,” he said.