"For most of the folks at the Tropicana, really it's many years down the road when the new hotel and stadium are going to be built and open for business. So I think the vast majority of them took the severance that gives them $2,000 per year of service and also six months' healthcare and pension."
He said they negotiated those protections into the labor deal for workers knowing the Tropicana closure was coming. He added similar language can be found in other recent labor contracts the union has negotiated with other major resorts in Las Vegas.
"These workers were loyal to the Tropicana, and owner after owner after owner came through there with different development plans. These workers stayed. They could've left. Many have been there for decades. So they've earned, we think, the right to be secure when these big corporations close."