Unions Split In Casino Battle

Carroll MGM
Union official Peter Carroll speaks at Bridgeport casino rally.

It will be noisy in Hartford on Thursday when casino interests speak at a public hearing before the legislature’s Public Safety Committee considering a bill to create an open, competitive process based on MGM’s proposal to build a $675 million waterfront casino in Bridgeport. The state currently operates under a gaming monopoly that provides tribal-nation operators of Foxwoods and Mohegan exclusivity in exchange for 25 percent of the slot take. Opponents to monopolies assert the state is leaving loads of dough on the table. Meanwhile, unions are split on the proposed bill, some aligned with the tribal nations and others such as Peter Carroll, president of the Fairfield County Building Trades Council, enthusiastic supporters of a Bridgeport casino. It’s a complex issue.

More from CT Post reporter Dan Haar:

For the unions in Fairfield County–and UNITE HERE, which is aligned with MGM and has tens of thousands of unionized hotel, casino and food service workers in Las Vegas–the politics of what happens in East Windsor are less important than the chance to see a Bridgeport casino rise up.

“I don’t know how anybody could be opposed to creating 7,000 jobs and spending $675 million with no state dollars,” said Peter Carroll, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local 488 in Monroe, and president of the multi-union Fairfield County Building Trades Council.

He was referring to the MGM plan in Bridgeport. And the answer is, union backers of the East Windsor plan vehemently oppose revoking a bill they fought hard to pass from 2015 to 2017.

Full story here.

0
Share

3 comments

  1. No one claims that a casino deal in Bridgeport is a sure thing, nor does anybody estimate that such a deal has a shorter timeline than 7-10 years.

    But simple summaries do talk about: $675 Million facility
    And they mention 7,000 jobs.
    And they clearly mention that the plan does not contemplate CT $$$
    And somewhere I saw a number about what the City of Bridgeport
    might see in revenue, but they did not call it taxes. Was there a reason for calling it guaranteed payments to the City rather than property taxes? What was the reason? And the amount factored out to be short of what property taxes might be assessed on such property based on similar mil rates to current and 70% adjustment to value.

    Shouldn’t that number be clear to everyone up front? Assumptions are made, but they can be disclosed. However, when up front there is no simplicity and clarity about the revenue flow, why bother getting better informed? Keep the reward clearly in mind. Avoid the glittery distractions. There may be problems though problems can be overcome with good management that keeps its eye on the goal. What’s the goal folks?? Increase tax paying Grand List?? By 70% of $675 Million? Or something else, no one is talking about? Time will tell.

    0
  2. There are no comments because this post deserves no comments. We have a Governor’s Race,A State Legislative race and these are the main parties to any decision. we have a lame-duck governor and a lame duck state legislature. Nothing will happen until we see who is the new governor and new state legislature.

    0

Leave a Reply