September 2024
Message from Cynthia Hallett, president and CEO
For the past three years, ANR has been working with Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE), a worker-led movement to eliminate smoking from casinos. The group started in Atlantic City, NJ, and with guidance from ANR has spread to states including Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Kansas.
Earlier this year, CEASE and the United Auto Workers (UAW) filed a lawsuit in New Jersey arguing that the loophole in the state’s 18-year-old Smoke-Free Air Act allowing smoking in casinos is unconstitutional. Unfortunately, on Friday, August 30th, the judge in the case ruled against CEASE. In a virtual press conference held on Sept. 4, ANR, CEASE, UAW, and Senator Vitale, the chairman of the Health Committee where smokefree casino legislation passed in January, discussed our concerns and commitment to continue the efforts to close the casino loophole. I am disappointed, but not surprised, that the system yet again favored big corporations, forsaking the people who go to work every day entertaining players and visitors to Atlantic City and cannot understand why they are the only workers in New Jersey who do not have smokefree workplace protections.
BURYING THE LEAD? Judge releases ruling late Friday afternoon before the Labor Day weekend.
The judge in the case fully bought into the casino industry’s disproven claims that eliminating smoking would hurt revenue, and while he acknowledged the very real health hazards that casino workers face every day because of secondhand smoke, he had the audacity to claim that “safety is not a fundamental right.”
He went on to say that casino workers can simply find another job if they don’t like the indoor smoke, ignoring the fact that these are highly skilled workers who have built their careers for decades in many cases and have families to support. What’s more, the gaming industry is the dominant industry in South Jersey, and therefore a significant source of employment. Anyone who goes to work in an Atlantic City casino is subjected to the hazards of secondhand smoke. No one should have to choose between their health and a paycheck.
NEXT STEPS: Casino Workers Need Our Help to Breathe Smokefree Air
Regardless of what happens next in the courts, the New Jersey legislature can and should pass legislation to close the casino smoking loophole. Yet despite bipartisan support, legislation that would protect workers from secondhand smoke has been held up for years. As lawmakers return to Trenton, we will be making the case that now is the time to act. Members like you are critical to our overall success. We need your support to get CEASE to hearings and meetings with lawmakers to hold them accountable. Sharing your preference for smokefree casinos —whether you play or dine or go for a show—you are an important customer that casino operators need to hear from, in person, or in writing (e.g., leave a review on their social media pages, Yelp, TripAdvisor, or GoogleMap). You can also share our materials, including new testimonial videos.
A new digital media campaign, “Kids of CEASE,” includes powerful videos which will run in targeted legislative districts throughout New Jersey. These videos feature the children and grandchildren of casino workers who make the case for protecting their loved ones from the deadly effects of secondhand smoke. I hope you’ll watch and share the first two videos in the series, Nathan and Ayana.
Workplace health and safety IS a fundamental right for all workers!
Thank you for joining us in this fight. Please let me know if you have any questions about how you can support this important campaign. Neighboring states like Pennsylvania and Rhode Island are watching what happens in New Jersey and will likely “wait and see” before they move their smokefree workplace campaigns forward, so we must continue this work in New Jersey.
