MGM Springfield ignores union negotiation calls since March 2024 dealer vote; Springfield City Council to discuss resolution urging MGM to negotiate on May 6

April 29, 2025 (MassLive.com) –

SPRINGFIELD — More than a year after poker and table game dealers voted to unionize, they claim their employers from MGM Springfield have ignored calls to negotiate a contract, sparking city officials to nudge them to the bargaining table.

In March 2024 , about 250 employees, including dealers and poker room attendants, voted to unionize. The plan was ratified, even with nine votes contested, said Ethan Snow , secretary and treasurer for the union.

But every time the union tried to open negotiations, MGM has delayed or rejected overtures, which is surprising since the same union also represents about 500 other employees, such as porters, bartenders, wait staff and slot machine attendants, he said.

Members of the new union, Local 301 of New England Joint Board UNITE HERE, filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board , saying casino officials have refused to negotiate. MGM has denied the charges, Snow said.

The labor board followed with a complaint against the casino, which MGM is appealing. A hearing is scheduled for August, Snow said.

MGM Springfield officials did not return requests for comment.

Snow said the union is unsure why casino executives are essentially ignoring calls to negotiate, but added if reports of a sale of MGM Springfield are true, then he wants to ensure Western Massachusetts residents and employees are protected.

“The number one demand we hear from dealers is they want a voice on the job, respect and a say in working conditions,” he said.

Dealers generally earn an hourly salary just above minimum wage but also collect tips from gamblers, Snow said.

Concerned about the dispute, City Councilor Sean Curran , chairman of the economic development committee of the City Council , has developed a resolution urging MGM officials to negotiate with the union. The issue will come before the committee in a May 6 meeting.

One of the reasons the City Council and mayor entered into a host agreement with MGM Springfield in the first place was to provide good-paying jobs for the residents, and a union supports that, Curran said.

“I think this may be part of the dance of negotiations,” Curran said. “Our hope is we will kick-start the negotiations.”

Former Springfield Mayor Michael Albano , whose father was a leader of the union that later became New England Joint Board UNITE HERE, also wrote a letter of support for the workers.

“In my years of labor relations, it is unheard of for an employer not to meet with a recognized union to negotiate a contract. This is a first for Western Mass. and is a clear violation of federal labor law,” Albano said in writing.

He argued that MGM purported to be pro-union when competing for its gaming license, and it should follow its pledge to be labor friendly.

“This refusal to bargain is a severe affront to the rights of our constituents, and in clear violation of federal law — evidenced by the March 20, 2025 , complaint filed against MGM Springfield by the National Labor Relations Board,” he said. “Given the support that MGM has received from the city of Springfield , the fact that MGM is now being prosecuted by a federal agency for violating the rights of Springfield community members is particularly unacceptable.”

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