Resorts World Whistleblower Sues Over Wrongful Firing
Alex Harper • Sep 17, 2026 
Reviewed By Paul Jacobs
Casino Expert
The Boston City Council just picked a side in the Encore Boston Harbor strike. On Wednesday, Sept. 16, councilors voted unanimously to back the casino’s striking workers. They pledged to stay away from the property for as long as the walkout lasts.
That vote adds real political weight to a strike now well into its third week, with no deal reported yet. It also places Boston alongside two neighboring cities already backing the walkout.
What the Boston City Council Resolution Says
Councilor Henry Santana brought the resolution forward, joined by co-sponsors Sharon Durkan and Gabriela Coletta Zapata. Under its terms, councilors will skip meals, meetings, and hotel stays at the resort. That boycott runs for the full duration of the strike.
Santana noted that Encore is just one of many regional employers with Boston residents on staff. He said job conditions anywhere in Greater Boston ripple outward, touching both households and the wider economy. The resolution casts Encore Boston Harbor staff as the public face of the region for visitors and tourists. Fair pay, job security, and healthcare matter to the whole city, the resolution says.
Councilors Speak Up on the Encore Boston Harbor Strike
Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata addressed workers directly during the meeting. She told them their labor has value and that their contract should finally reflect it.
Santana brought up remarks from Everett Mayor Robert Van Campen. Two days earlier, at an Everett City Council meeting, the mayor made a similar argument. He said a casino branding itself “Encore Boston” ought to pay wages that match the city’s name.
Boston Joins Everett and Somerville in Backing the Strike
Boston isn’t acting alone. Everett’s council passed a similar measure two days earlier, on Monday night. Somerville’s council did the same the week before that. Three city councils now stand behind the strikers. That kind of unified local pressure is rare in a labor dispute tied to a single resort.
| City council | What they did | When |
| Somerville | Passed a resolution backing the strikers | Early-to-mid September |
| Everett | Passed a resolution backing the strikers | Sept. 14 |
| Boston | Passed a resolution and pledged to boycott the resort | Sept. 16 |
What Workers Want From the Encore Boston Harbor Strike
The walkout began Sept. 4, a few days after union contracts lapsed on Aug. 31. It drew more than 1,300 employees off the job, represented by UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25. CasinoUS covered the union’s original list of demands when the strike first began.
Money sits at the center of the dispute. Non-tipped staff are asking for $10 more an hour, and tipped staff for $5 more. Workers also want a $25 starting wage once a new deal phases in.
Pay currently starts around $15 an hour and tops out near $32, per the unions. Two guest-facing services, valet parking and the resort’s free water shuttle, have already gone dark. The union staff who normally run them are picketing instead.
How Wynn Resorts Is Responding
Wynn Resorts, which owns Encore Boston Harbor, says it respects the councilors’ right to speak out. A spokesperson said the company’s main concern is keeping the resort financially healthy over the long run. That, the spokesperson said, is what protects the jobs there.
The company backs that up with its own figures. Everett has seen $2.6 billion in investment from Wynn since 2019. Employee compensation over that same stretch adds up to $1.3 billion. Wynn also argues average union pay and benefits already reach roughly $96,000 a year. That tops Boston’s per capita income of about $62,000. The resort’s 2025 EBITDA came in at $236.7 million, a drop from $247.1 million a year earlier.
What Happens Next
Negotiations continue as the strike drags on. Support has come from well beyond city council chambers, too. Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley visited the picket line on Labor Day, one of several officeholders who have stopped by.
Three city councils and several elected officials now back the workers. Pressure over the Encore Boston Harbor strike keeps building on Wynn Resorts. Follow CasinoUS for the latest updates, along with the latest news across the US casino industry.
