Horseshoe Casino Indianapolis employees started striking on October 17. The property won’t recognise Teamsters Local 135 as their bargaining representative. Workers and union members now form a picket line outside the facility.
Meanwhile, hundreds of California cardroom employees plan their own protest. They’ll gather outside Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office on October 20. Union members will join them.
Why Bonta’s Proposal Sparked Backlash
Bonta proposed regulations that would “effectively ban blackjack-style games and severely limit player-dealer games in California cardrooms.” The impact looks severe.
His own Standard Regulatory Impact Assessment found the proposal could eliminate up to half of all cardroom jobs. That means over 5,000 living-wage positions could disappear. Millions in local tax revenue would vanish too.
Cities like Commerce, Compton, Bell Gardens, Hawaiian Gardens, Gardena and Inglewood rely on this money. It funds police, fire departments, senior programs and youth services. Local mayors understand what’s at stake – Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Dandy De Paula and Compton Mayor Emma Sharif will attend the protest.
What Triggered the Indianapolis Strike
A government shutdown in Indianapolis delayed the employee vote to join Teamsters 135. The union tried to fix this. They offered a neutral third party to conduct the vote as planned on October 17.
Horseshoe Casino management rejected the proposal. So workers walked out instead.
The employees say they’re fighting for “strong union representation.” They aren’t backing down.
How Government Actions Created This Crisis
The timing couldn’t be worse for California cardrooms. Governor Gavin Newsom just signed anti-sweepstakes Assembly Bill 831 into law on October 11. It passed unopposed through both the California Assembly and Senate.
Now Bonta’s blackjack proposal adds more pressure. Protesters plan to submit “thousands of signatures” opposing the regulations when they gather on October 20.
In Indianapolis, the government shutdown created an opening for management to block the union vote. But that strategy backfired. Instead of preventing organisation, it triggered an immediate strike.
Both situations show how government decisions directly affect workers. The California protest targets state-level regulations that threaten jobs. The Indianapolis strike responds to local government dysfunction that prevented a fair vote.
Cardroom employees face potential mass layoffs if Bonta’s proposal passes. Horseshoe workers already walked away from their jobs. Neither group plans to wait quietly for bureaucrats to decide their futures.
The protests represent workers taking direct action when they feel government processes fail them. Whether through strikes or public demonstrations, they’re demanding their voices get heard before decisions become final.
