Atlantic City casino workers protested the decision by lawmakers to drop a smoking ban bill by lighting up cigarettes during a Senate committee meeting. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Making their feelings known

Casino workers in Atlantic City have been pushing for a safer working environment for the past couple of years, calling for a total ban on people smoking on gaming floors. A bill that was aiming to do exactly that made its way into the New Jersey Senate’s Health Committee.

A vote was in the cards before one of the bill’s main proponents, Senator Vince Polistina, gave up the fight on Wednesday night. Seven members of United Auto Workers (UAW), which represents the interests of some of the workers, protested the decision to not proceed with a vote during a meeting on Thursday.

blew smoke at lawmakers

They lit up cigarettes in the State House during the meeting and blew smoke at lawmakers before state police led them out of the building. One union member exclaimed: “We’re not allowed to smoke in your workplace, but you’re allowed to smoke in ours!”

An ongoing battle

UAW Regional Director Daniel Vincente told local media that lawmakers “completely caved” and that the workers felt “betrayed by our legislators, both Democrat and Republican.” The Casino Employees Against Smoking’s Effects Facebook page uploaded footage of the protest.

Workers in other states like Pennsylvania and Rhode Island have also been pushing for smoking bans.

People are not allowed to smoke in the majority of New Jersey’s public spaces. One of the main exceptions is that 25% of a casino’s gaming floor is open to smokers and this area does not have to all be in the same place. Workers have complained about the health issues they are suffering from as a result of long-term exposure to second-hand smoke.

Finding a middle ground

The Casino Association of New Jersey, which represents the nine casinos in the state, released a statement after the dropping of the bill. It claimed that the legislation in its current form would have a “significant adverse impact” on the city’s economy and that many different stakeholders were against it because thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue would be in danger. The group wants to find a compromise that will satisfy the wishes of workers without jeopardizing anything.

currently drafting a bill that might serve as a middle point

Senator Vince Polistina has revealed that he is currently drafting a bill that might serve as a middle point between the casinos and their unhappy workers. It would ban patrons from smoking at table games and gradually decrease smoking at slots over an 18-month period to give enough time for properties to build enclosed rooms. Employees would then volunteer to work in the enclosed environments as part of the proposal.