Anti-Smoking Union Loses Support of Leader, Who Wants a Compromise

The fight to end smoking inside Atlantic City, New Jersey casinos may have hit an unexpected fork.

Anti-smoking casino workers believe that they have lost the support of the main union supporting their fight. Allegedly, Big Tobacco swayed the opinion of Donna DeCaprio, head of Local 54 of the Unite Here union.

The group opposed a smoking ban due to its belief that smokers would drive non-smoking patrons out of casinos and to nearby smoke-free businesses.

Change in opinion

DeCaprio previously said that Unite Here had the health and safety interests of casino employees at heart, leading to its opposition of the pro-smoking precedent in the famed tourist destination. 

“A balance needs to be reached that will both protect worker health and preserve good jobs,” she said. “We are protecting our members against multiple casino closures and job losses. The (United Auto Workers union) is eager to sacrifice the entire casino industry and put 25,000 good jobs with benefits at risk.”

According to DeCaprio, 50-72 percent of in-person casino revenue in Atlantic City is generated in pro-smoking sections, which may only be a maximum of 25 percent of indoor floor space per New Jersey law.

Rather than outright ban smoking, DeCaprio said that her union and many others are in favor of a resolution that would improve ventilation inside casinos and allow employees to refuse to work in designated smoking areas.

DeCaprio’s stance is a pivot in position caused turmoil for the anti-smoking movement. 

Ray Jensen, assistant director of United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9, told the Associated Press that DeCaprio “should be ashamed of herself” and called for her resignation.

The fight continues

While a speedy resolution would likely be in the best interest of all parties, that does not seem likely.

A 2022 study by Las Vegas-based C3 Gaming, a B2B gaming company, found that casinos that implemented smoking bans did not see a noticeable decline in revenue compared to those that authorized smoking inside their facility.

A union known as Casino Employees Against Smoking's Effects (CEASE) has been on the frontline in the push to eradicate smoking from Atlantic City casinos. The group on Monday filed an appeal of an August court ruling that greenlighted the continuation of smoking inside Atlantic City’s nine casinos.

Other campaigns against smoking are being waged in a variety of states, including Nevada, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. 

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said that he would sign an anti-smoking bill if one was pushed across his desk. 

Despite the Governor’s support, critics worry that the change would lead to a decline in tax funding for the state driven by gaming revenue.