Wynn Resorts Agrees to Employ Union Members in New Casino Project

Mirroring agreement struck by Mohegan Sun, Wynn plans to hire union workers to build new resort casino in Everett.

Wynn Resorts, which plans to build a $1.3 billion casino in Everett, Massachusetts, has reached a preliminary agreement with two major regional labor unions. A statement from Wynn declared: "If we were to receive the license, we would partner with labor unions to forge mutually beneficial agreements akin to those we enjoy with our unions in Las Vegas."

They project that the new casino would create 4,000 temporary construction jobs and 4,300 other permanent jobs. Traditional casino gaming provides the advantage of employing more people than online gambling sites in America.

Rival gaming company Mohegan Sun recently reached an agreement with two labor unions to build a casino in the town of Revere, which they claim would create 1,500 construction jobs in addition to 4,000 permanent ones.

Opposition still remains

While the agreements lie within American gambling laws and the local citizenry generally support the hiring of union workers, many people remain firmly opposed to the opening of new casinos in Massachusetts.

According to Joseph Catricala, a spokesman for the public interest group Don't Gamble on Revere, "the long-term negative impacts of a casino — the crime, the traffic, the addiction — would outweigh the short-term positive impact of these jobs.”

For now, it looks as if economic opportunity will win out over the social concerns associated with expanding casino gambling in the state.