Resorts World Casino New York City in South Ozone Park laid off about 175 workers on Monday, igniting outrage among the former employees and prompting area leaders to voice a litany of concerns about the Queens residents who now find themselves unemployed.
A casino spokeswoman, Kerri Lyon, said this week that the gambling facility had to shutter its buffet because it was hemorrhaging money, which she said left employers with no choice but to lay off the 175 workers affiliated with the buffet that had been losing money for approximately two years.
Workers, meanwhile, accused the casino of letting them go following an arbitrator’s ruling in October that mandated Resorts World to double the average paycheck for approximately 1,375 union cashiers, attendants, waiters, bartenders, and security guards at the highest grossing slot machine facility in the United States. The decision, which followed a year of negotiations between Resorts World and the Hotel Trades Council – the union representing the casino’s workers, resulted in workers’ paychecks jumping from about $10 an hour to approximately $20.50 an hour.
Resorts World Casino New York City, the highest grossing slots parlor in the country, laid off about 175 workers after it shuttered its buffet Monday. File photo
“It’s so disheartening,” said South Ozone Park resident Yvette Turner, whose husband, Brian Turner, was laid off. “We were supposed to be moving in June because of that increase. Now what? People probably spent a lot more on Christmas shopping because of the pay raise. Now what happens to all those bills?”
Workers and others with knowledge of the situation said those who were laid off will receive up to five weeks’ severance pay, as well as three to four months of benefits.
“The buffet from the beginning was not economically viable,” Lyon said. “We tried as hard as we could for two years to make it work. Ultimately, it didn’t work, and we had to close it.
“At some point, it would’ve started to negatively impact our ability to sustain all the benefits the casino has been able to provide to the community over the past two years,” Lyon continued, pointing to the $1 billion that the facility has generated for the state’s education fund and the approximate 1,600 workers at Resorts World. Prior to the casino’s opening, Resorts World had expected to hire about 900 workers, which has now grown to 1,600.
But Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton said she is “deeply concerned with the loss of jobs.
“Many of those people impacted are local residents, therefore we will be discussing with Resorts World ways for them to explore trying to minimize the impact,” Braton went on to say. “Or we’d love to see the decision to close the buffet reversed.”
While the union is working with the former buffet employees to help them find new employment, Turner said it is going to be a long, hard battle for many of the individuals to land something in a rough economy.
“I don’t know how they’re going to find them jobs if there’s none out there,” Turner said.
Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway) said that Resorts World “has been a strong community partner,” noting the job creation at the facility.
“They have created over a thousand jobs that have boosted economic growth and assisted our hard-working families throughout Queens,” he said. “I am a constant advocate and work hard to create jobs in our community and never want to see any person lose their employment, but I will work with the casino and the union to ensure that every worker is given potential opportunities and the tools they need to provide for their families.
By Anna Gustafson
