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Encore Boston Harbor Situation Nears Boiling Point as Workers Announce Strike

By jili tutorial · September 3, 2026

Encore Boston Harbor Situation Nears Boiling Point as Workers Announce Strike

Union employees at Encore Boston Harbor, a Wynn-operated casino in Everett, Massachusetts, are preparing to go on strike after failing to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement with casino management. Meanwhile, Wynn representatives told gaming news outlet Casino.org that the company is still committed to securing a fair contract — but one that reflects the business’s financial realities.

Workers Prepare to Strike This Friday

Last month, roughly 1,350 workers at Encore Boston Harbor voted in favor of striking after repeated failures to negotiate better working conditions. The workers — members of Unite Here Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 — include slot attendants, bartenders, cooks, servers, housekeepers, warehouse workers, and other casino staff.

The union is seeking hourly wage increases of $10 over four years, a starting base pay of $25 per hour, and guaranteed healthcare and pension benefits. The workers’ bargaining contracts expired on August 31, and with casino officials yet to agree to these terms, the 1,000-plus union members are now preparing to walk off the job. They have threatened to strike this Friday to underscore their seriousness.

Rosa Mendoza, a call center worker and union steward for Teamsters Local 25, warned that Encore Boston Harbor will face a work stoppage if management fails to appreciate the hard work of its staff. She called on Boston families to stand with union members and honor the picket line if a strike occurs. This echoes an earlier statement by Teamsters Local 25 President Thomas Mari: “If our members are on that sidewalk, we’re asking every worker and every family in this city to stand with them: while they’re out, stay out.”

Wynn Resorts Urges Consideration of Financial Reality

At the same time, Wynn Resorts officials spoke with Casino.org about the situation. While emphasizing that the company remains committed to supporting Encore Boston Harbor workers and reaching a fair agreement, they added that any deal must be “grounded in financial reality.”

Wynn officials noted that over the past four years, wages and benefits for Unite Here and Teamsters members at Encore Boston Harbor grew by 36.8% — far outpacing the 1.9% increase in revenue and the 8.5% rise in consumer prices in Boston. Company representatives stressed that a sustainable contract must reflect actual business performance and warned that proposals ignoring financial realities in favor of short-term gains could lead to long-term job cuts.

Wynn also highlighted that since Encore Boston Harbor opened in June 2019, it has paid more than $1.3 billion in wages and benefits to its union members. It remains to be seen whether the casino can reach an agreement with its workers before the scheduled strike begins.