Are casino workers entitled to a smoke-free workplace? The UAW thinks so.
CBSN
Breathing second-hand smoke is still part of the job for many U.S. workers, especially those employed at casinos.
After unsuccessfully agitating for more than three years to get lawmakers to ban smoking in Atlantic City casinos, Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects, or CEASE, and the United Auto Workers filed a lawsuit on Friday in state Superior Court challenging a gap in New Jersey's indoor clean air law. New Jersey in 2006 passed legislation banning smoking in enclosed indoor spaces and workplaces, but exempted casino workers from its protections, with smoking allowed on 25% of the casino floor.
"This legislation was supposed to protect everyone from the dangers of secondhand smoke. But somehow, our casino workers have been asked to roll the dice, all in the name of corporate greed," UAW President Shawn Fain said. "Every worker deserves safety on the job, and every person deserves equal protection under the law. By leaving out casino workers, the state of New Jersey isn't holding up its end of the bargain."
