In August, Hard Rock International opened the roughly $360 million casino іn Illinois’ Rockford. Less than two months later, many оf the casino’s approximately 900 employees are demanding a union contract.
Hard Rock International іs owned by the Seminole Tribe оf Florida. The entertainment, hospitality, and gaming conglomerate has traditionally opposed unionization efforts at its more than 300 hotels, casinos, Rock Shops, concert venues, and cafes around the world.
Workers at the Hard Rock Rockford facility allege that the company is allocating substantial funds to anti-union lawyers to obstruct staff organization efforts.
On Friday, Hard Rock Rockford employees, or “band members” as the company often affectionally refers to staff, rallied outside the casino. Dubbed a “Rally for Respect,” the happening was organized by six unions, including the United Auto Workers, Service Employees International Union, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Union of Operating Engineers, and Unite Here.
Rallying Calls
The Hard Rock Rockford employees who rallied on Friday for a union contract said their employer should stop wasting money on efforts to impede workers’ ability to organize.
“The workers are steadily organizing. We’re expecting votes to come through over the next couple months, but we would really like to save time and energy with the casino. We don’t want them to have to put all their time and money and energy into busting this up when it’s going to happen,” Sara Dorner, president of Rockford United Labor, AFL-CIO, told the Rockford Register Star.
Three of the six aforementioned unions are affiliated groups of the AFL-CIO. Dorner and others supportive of unionizing the Hard Rock casino believe a labor agreement will protect jobs and allow workers to negotiate better wages and benefits in the coming years.
UAW Local 1268 President Matt Frantzen said the region’s union leaders are making themselves available for the casino workers should they motion to organize and explore the possibility of unionizing.
“We are just here to help,” Frantzen said. “We have a coalition of six unions that are helping with different sectors but we are all working together.
Casino Comeback
Hard Rock Casino Rockford President Geno Iafrate says the company isn’t opposed to negotiating with unions and trade groups.
The property boss says the Rockford casino is already in talks with local union leaders of Unite Here, Teamsters, and Operating Engineers. Those talks stem from valet drivers and warehouse workers at the property already voting to join unions.
During the construction of the $360 million casino, Hard Rock worked with several trade groups and more than 1,200 union construction laborers to bring the casino to reality. The Northwestern Illinois Building and Construction Trades and Illinois International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 364 were among the contracted unions.
The 64,000-square-foot Hard Rock Rockford casino floor has 1,300 slots, 50 live dealer table games, a poker room, and a Hard Rock Sportsbook. The Hard Rock Live music venue can seat 2,000 guests.
The property also offers meeting space, a Rock Shop retail outlet, and six restaurants and bars. The casino doesn’t offer on-site lodging but has numerous partnerships with the many hotels nearby.
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