A large gathering of casino dealers, TWU members and other supporters of the right of gaming workers to form unions will protest in front of Caesars Palace tomorrow at 4 p.m. PST and 7 p.m. EST.

Dealers at Caesars Palace voted in December of 2007 by a 3 to 1 margin to be represented by Local 721 of the Gaming Division of the Transport Workers Union, but have been unable to bring long negotiations to a conclusion with a contract. Harrah’s Entertainment, the parent company of Caesars Palace, after engaging in anti-union election tactics in 2007, has stalled contract negotiations for its 600 dealers for nearly two years.

“Two years is too long,” said Joe Carbon, director of TWU’s Gaming Division. Kanie Kastroll, a Wynn dealer and acting president of Local 721 added, “it shouldn’t take a federal law to get a fair contract.”

On Tuesday, President Obama is expected to endorse the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) in a speech to the national AFL-CIO convention. EFCA would mandate that employers and unions enter into binding arbitration if agreement could not be reached on a first contract in a timely manner. Harrah’s would be outlawed. EFCA is expected to go to Congress as soon as a replacement is named for the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

Check twu.org for footage of the protest on Friday, September 18.