LINCOLN, R.I. — Union valets at Twin River casino walked off their jobs Friday afternoon for a two-day strike aimed at convincing casino management to stop what the union says is a campaign to gut their health-care coverage.

The valets headed from the parking lots to the shoulders and traffic islands on Twin River Road and Route 246 at about 1:30 p.m. With an approximately 15-foot-high, cigar-chomping inflatable pig labeled “corporate greed” looking down on them, the Twin River Road picketers paced back and forth, urging drivers in cars and commercial vehicles to pass Twin River by.

Teamsters Local 251 Secretary Treasurer Matthew G. Taibi said the picket line would be up day and night through 7 a.m. Sunday. Other unions at Twin River have promised to honor it, he said.

The strike was originally set for 3 p.m., but Taibi said the casino was telling workers to come in at 2 p.m., so the 42 union valets went out at 1:30 p.m. to beat that rush.

Taibi said the 41.5-hour strike was meant to communicate how seriously the valets feel about their health care. The duration was also chosen to avoid putting too much pressure on other unions’ members who honor their lines, he said.

“We want to make a statement,” Taibi said. “Everyone loses out in this.”

In a prepared statement, Twin River spokeswoman Patti Doyle said the casino was disappointed by the valets’ decision but said Twin River had contingency plans in place to deal with it. The casino has been able to reach agreements with other unions, she said, such as those representing the restaurant workers, table game dealers, carpenters and cashiers and clerks.

"We will of course continue to negotiate in good faith with the union that represents our valet parking attendants in a sincere effort to explore if a viable agreement can be reached," Doyle said.

Some cashiers and mutuel clerks who are not in the Teamsters union supported the strike and did not come to work, but such absences did not seem "to be the case wholesale," said Doyle.

"We'll look at the situation tomorrow," she said.

On Thursday, the two sides agreed on job-security language. That left the health-care plan, which was imposed on the union in January, as the last major issue, Taibi said. The union has filed an Unfair Labor Practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board over the imposition, he added.

Teamsters Principal Officer Matthew Maini said the casino’s imposed plan carries total deductibles as high as $12,000 for family coverage in some cases, an amount he said was too heavy a burden for union valets making $4.50 an hour, plus tips.

Taibi said the savings to the company wouldn’t be very large, since only 15 to 20 workers are on the plan.

Twin River has about 4,200 slot machines, 113 table games and 19 restaurants on its 190-acre property on Twin River Road in Lincoln. The company has announced plans to build a $34-million hotel.

In November, state budget officials estimated that Twin River would take in about $443.7 million from its video terminals this year, compared with $444.1 million last year. The company had enough cash on hand to offer a $20-million stock buyback plan.

With reports by staff writer Mark Reynolds

— jhill@providencejournal.com

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