1,300+ Encore Boston Harbor Workers Vote This Week on Strike Authorization

More than 1,300 workers at Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, Massachusetts, could authorize a strike this week after contract negotiations with Wynn Resorts broke down. UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25, the two unions representing roughly 1,350 employees, are holding a strike authorization vote Wednesday and Thursday, with results expected to be announced Thursday evening at the Knights of Columbus in Charlestown.

The vote covers a wide swath of the casino’s workforce, including housekeepers, cooks, servers, bartenders, and slot attendants. Their current labor agreements with Wynn Resorts expire Aug. 31, and if members authorize a strike and no new deal is reached, a walkout could begin as soon as Sept. 1.

A Casino Riding High While Workers Push for More

Union leaders argue the timing is notable given Encore Boston Harbor’s financial performance. The property brought in roughly $847 million in gross gaming revenue last year, according to figures cited alongside the labor dispute, and Massachusetts Gaming Commission quarterly reports show the casino has consistently generated well over $180 million in combined table games and slots revenue every quarter through 2025. That revenue is taxed at 25% under the state’s category 1 resort-casino structure, funneling tens of millions of dollars per quarter to the Commonwealth.

Against that backdrop, workers say they deserve contracts that reflect the property’s success. Negotiations have centered on wages, benefits, and job security, with union leadership pushing for pay above the $25-an-hour minimum along with stronger pension benefits.

A Familiar Playbook From 2023

This isn’t the first time Encore Boston Harbor workers have gone down this road. In June 2023, the same two unions voted to authorize a strike by a 98% margin during a similarly tense round of bargaining. That standoff was resolved just before the deadline, when Wynn Resorts and the unions reached a tentative agreement that Local 26 President Carlos Aramayo said met the union’s goals for wages, benefits, and job security.

Given that history, many expect this week’s vote to produce a similarly lopsided result in favor of authorization, even if it doesn’t guarantee an actual walkout. A “yes” vote functions as leverage in the final stretch of bargaining rather than an automatic trigger for a strike — as was the case three years ago, when a deal emerged in the eleventh hour.

What Happens Next

With the current agreements set to expire Aug. 31, both sides have roughly two weeks to reach new terms before the vote’s outcome becomes more than a bargaining chip. If no agreement materializes, a strike affecting one of the largest casino resorts in New England — and a significant contributor to the state’s gaming tax revenue — could begin at the start of September, disrupting operations at a property that has become one of the region’s most consistent gaming revenue generators.

Wynn Resorts has not yet issued a public statement on the latest round of negotiations. For bettors who frequent New England’s online casinos as an alternative to the resort floor, the labor standoff is a reminder of how central Encore Boston Harbor remains to the region’s broader gaming economy.