Local
Encore Boston Harbor Workers Ratify Contract, Ending 63-Day Strike
More than 1,300 union employees at the Everett casino returned to work after a 63-day strike, securing raises, health care protections and job security agreements. The walkout coincided with a sharp drop in the casino's gaming revenue.
EVERETT â More than 1,300 union workers at Encore Boston Harbor are back on the job after ratifying a new collective bargaining agreement that ends a 63-day strike, union and company officials said Friday.
The walkout, which began Sept. 4, involved housekeepers, cooks, servers, bartenders, slot attendants and warehouse workers represented by Teamsters Local 25 and UNITE HERE Local 26. Their previous contract with Wynn Resorts, the casino's owner, expired Aug. 31. Workers had accused the company of refusing to bargain in good faith.
Seth Ogilvie, a spokesperson for the workers, said the new agreement achieves the three central goals the unions set out at the start of the strike.
"It secures significant raises that meet the Boston standard, preserves our health care, and establishes job security agreements that give workers peace of mind," Ogilvie said in a statement. "None of it would have been possible without the community. Neighbors, elected leaders and customers stood with us from day one, and that support was crucial. We also want to recognize Wynn for living up to its promises to the community with this contract."
Wynn Resorts spokesperson Ryan Jelniker welcomed the resolution. "We're pleased to have reached an agreement that works for our employees and the long-term future of Encore Boston Harbor," he said. "Our employees bring the Encore experience to life every day, and we look forward to welcoming our union employees back and having our entire team together again."
The strike unfolded against a difficult financial backdrop for the casino. Encore, the largest of Massachusetts' three casinos and subject to a 25% tax on gross gaming revenue, recorded its lowest monthly gaming revenue in more than five years in September, according to data from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
Encore's September gaming revenue was nearly $46.1 million, down about 22.1% from $59.1 million in September 2025. It was the lowest figure since February 2021, when the Everett casino posted almost $41 million in gross gaming revenue.
The dispute drew support from neighbors, elected leaders and customers, according to the unions, a sign of the broader community stakes in a casino that is one of the region's largest private employers. The new contract's job security provisions are likely to be closely watched as a template for other hospitality workplaces in the Boston area.
With the agreement ratified, the casino's full workforce is expected back on the floor as Encore looks to recover from the revenue slump that coincided with the strike.