49 casino employees arrested outside Tropicana in Atlantic City

    Nearly 50 casino workers were arrested Friday night during a protest over stalled contract negotiations with the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City.

    The Press of Atlantic City reports the 49 workers were part of a two-hour protest that included 500 people. At one point, the demonstration shut down Pacific Avenue between Iowa and Chelsea avenues.

    According to the Press of Atlantic City, the Tropicana refuses to continue paying into Local 54 of UNITE-HERE’s pension fund. The refusal became a sticking point that brought negotiations to a halt in February and led to the arrests Friday.

    The Press of Atlantic City says a statement released by Tropicana CEO Tony Rodio points to a bankruptcy court ruling from 2010 that exempted the property’s new owners from righting a pension system that underfunded by $1.4 billion.

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