The United Auto Workers (UAW) union in Atlantic City is making a bold move in response to the recent dismissal of a lawsuit aimed at ending indoor smoking in local casinos. The lawsuit, which was supported by anti-smoking groups, argued that workers have the right to breathe smoke-free air and sought to close the exemption that allows smoking in casinos under the state’s Smoke-Free Air Act.
Following the court’s decision to reject the lawsuit, UAW Region 9 Director Dan Vicente announced that the union will withdraw from the state AFL/CIO due to other unions’ support for indoor smoking. This decision marks a significant escalation in the fight against smoking in Atlantic City casinos.
During a press call organized by anti-smoking advocates, including Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) and Americans for Nonsmokers Rights (ANS), Vicente expressed disappointment in the court’s ruling. The groups involved in the lawsuit believe that the exemption for casinos under the Smoke-Free Air Act poses a serious public health risk and infringes on workers’ rights to a safe and healthy work environment.
While the court determined that the constitutional right to safety is not a well-established legal principle and that the exemptions in the Smoke-Free Air Act do not violate individuals’ safety under the New Jersey Constitution, the UAW and its supporters remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke.
The decision to withdraw from the state AFL/CIO is a strategic move by the UAW to demonstrate their unwavering stance against indoor smoking in casinos. By taking this bold step, the union is sending a clear message that the health and well-being of workers should not be compromised for the sake of accommodating smoking in public places.
As the debate over indoor smoking in Atlantic City casinos continues, it is evident that the issue is far from being resolved. The UAW’s decision to pull out of the state AFL/CIO underscores the deep divide between labor unions and anti-smoking advocates on this contentious issue. The future of smoking in Atlantic City casinos remains uncertain, but one thing is clear – the fight for clean indoor air is far from over.