Casino news from http://www.courierpostonline.com/
June Konrath moved from New York three years ago and landed a job at the Sands.
She loves the place and her fellow employees, but come mid-November, she'll be out of a job when the Sands closes to make way for demolition and a new $1 billion megaresort to be developed by Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc.
On Wednesday, she attended an information session spearheaded by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development designed to guide the 2,100 employees into finding new work in and out of the casino industry.
"I have to get a job, but I don't know if I'll stay in the area. I have a degree in psychology and may move back," said Konrath, a welcome center representative from Absecon.
Between now and closing, the state will host five job-searching workshops and establish an on-site, one-stop career center. The state has also applied for a U.S. Department of Labor emergency grant tailored to the needs of the Sands workers. In addition, the Sands will host at least three job fairs just for its employees with representatives from different industries, casinos included.
"It will be easier for some workers to get new jobs than others," Labor Commissioner David J. Socolow said Wednesday at the Copa Room. "But they're not alone. We have the resources they need. We'll provide job training for qualified employees, help people file for unemployment and conduct a job search."
The Sands and Pinnacle will make it as lucrative as possible to stay on until the end, said George Toth, president of the casino hotel.
Konrath and many other employees will stick around if for no other reason than the severance packages. The Sands will fund one week of severance for nonunion employees for each year of service more than two years. Pinnacle will fund an additional two weeks for full-time employees who have been with Sands for at least six months. So employees with 12 years of service will receive 12 weeks of pay and benefits. Local 54, which represents hotel and restaurant workers, will begin negotiations this month to work out a severance package for its 710 members.
"We want the city to move forward but the families shouldn't be left behind," said Robert McDevitt, president of Local 54. "These folks should be given the opportunity to move on with their lives. But we have to be careful how we craft this closing agreement. It could serve as a template for the future."
While experience counts, union and nonunion employees should forget about keeping their seniority or expecting much of a salary increase in the early goings, Socolow said.
"If I can find something else in the industry, I will, even though my seniority doesn't carry over. I just wish the Sands would have stayed open," said Frances Corbett, a slot attendant and 17-year veteran from Egg Harbor Township.
As part of the union negotiations, McDevitt will seek the right of first refusal for Sands employees in Pinnacle's new property, with the same seniority.
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