More than 1,300 Workers Strike at Wynn’s Encore Boston Harbor

EVERETT, Mass. – More than 1,300 union workers at Encore Boston Harbor remain on strike after walking off the job Sept. 4.

The casino remains open using management and nonunion staff, while contract talks over wages, benefits and job security remain stalled.

Workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 began the strike at 7 a.m. Friday after their previous contract expired Aug. 31 without a replacement agreement. Negotiations had been underway for months, and workers voted 97% in August to authorize a strike if a new contract was not reached.

Workers Seek Higher Wages and Benefit Protections

The striking employees include housekeepers, cooks, food and beverage workers, slot attendants, cage cashiers, drivers, dispatchers, groundskeepers, warehouse staff and call center employees. Teamsters Local 25 represents 211 of the workers, with the majority represented by UNITE HERE Local 26.

The unions are seeking wage increases of $10 an hour over three years for non-tipped employees and $5 an hour for tipped workers. Current hourly wages range from about $15 to $32, according to the unions, which say their proposal would bring Encore employees closer to pay levels at unionized Boston hotels.

Healthcare and job protections are also central to the dispute. Union representatives say they want to preserve existing health and pension benefits and contractual protections guaranteeing minimum working hours for certain employees. Encore has denied that it is seeking to eliminate the minimum-hours provision.

The Teamsters said workers would remain on the picket line while seeking a new agreement. As of Monday, no additional bargaining sessions had been scheduled.

Encore Remains Open During Walkout

Wynn Resorts has kept the property operating throughout the strike, including over the holiday weekend. The company said it remains willing to negotiate and is seeking an agreement that it considers financially sustainable while protecting jobs over the long term.

Encore generated $846.9 million in operating revenue during 2025, down 1.2% from the previous year, according to Wynn Resorts’ annual filing. Adjusted property EBITDAR declined to $236.7 million from $247.1 million in 2024.

Wynn has argued that union wages and benefits have risen substantially faster than revenue in recent years. Union representatives counter that Encore employees should receive compensation comparable with workers at other unionized hospitality properties in the Boston area.

Strike Extends Casino Labor Dispute

The Encore action follows other recent labor disputes across the U.S. casino industry, where wages, benefits and job protections have become recurring bargaining issues. Casino workers have previously used strike threats and walkouts in markets including Las Vegas, where union agreements prevented planned casino strikes after extended negotiations.

The Encore walkout entered its fifth day Tuesday without a publicly announced settlement. The casino continues to operate, leaving the next major development dependent on when Wynn Resorts and the two unions return to formal negotiations.

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