Casino union launching ads on why it might go on strike

Local 54 of the Unite-HERE union is starting an advertising campaign Thursday on radio stations in southern New Jersey and Philadelphia laying out why workers are threatening to go on strike against five casinos unless a contract is reached by July 1.

The walkout would affect Bally's, Caesars, Harrah's, the Tropicana and the Trump Taj Mahal.

The union is trying to regain some of what it gave back to the casinos in past contracts now that the casinos' finances are stabilizing somewhat.

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The strike threat comes at a precarious point for Atlantic City as it begins to stabilize from the loss of four of its 12 casinos in 2014

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While declining to reveal the cost, union spokesman Ben Begleiter called it a "significant ad buy" that will run between Thursday and July 1.

The casinos say they are committed to reaching a fair contract that makes sense for both sides.

In the ads, a woman's voice says, "Atlantic City casino workers sacrificed a lot when times were tough, for our industry and for our economy. Now things are getting better — for the casinos. We just want what's fair."

The remaining three casinos — Borgata, Golden Nugget and Resorts — have been given an indefinite extension by the union, which says talks with them have been making progress.

The strike threat comes at a precarious point for Atlantic City as it begins to stabilize from the loss of four of its 12 casinos in 2014, grapples with a $100 million budget shortfall and tries to fight off a state takeover and the prospect of in-state competition from two proposed casinos in the northern part of the state.