The Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City will close after Labor Day due to disagreements with its employee union members.
The casino owners made the announcement Wednesday as there were no signs a strike, which began July 1, was close to ending. The union was fighting to get health insurances and pension benefits restored after they were eliminated in 2014 by previous owners.
“Currently the Taj is losing multi-millions a month, and now with this strike we see no path to profitability,” said Tony Rodio, chief executive officer of Tropicana Entertainment, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we’ve reached the point where we have will to have to close the Taj after Labor Day weekend.”
More than 1,000 employees of the Taj, including housekeepers, bellmen, cooks and bartenders, participated in the strike.
Union president Bob McDevitt said casino owner Carl Icahn “would rather burn the Trump Taj Mahal down just so he can control the ashes.”
Donald Trump opened the casino in 1990, but it is currently owned by his friend Icahn. The Republican presidential nominee, who has never held office, has repeatedly cited his casinos as success that will translate into politics. At one point Trump owned three separate Atlantic City casinos, but the Trump Plaza Casino and Hotel closed in 2014 and the Trump Marina Hotel Casino was sold in 2011.
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