Ironically Marian Ilitch has enlisted Labor to work on Propoganda, CA Legislature's Support for her Barstow Casinos

January 9, 2007


Support for Indian Gaming Compacts Remains Strong
Labor Desk

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Tribal representatives for the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians and the Big Lagoon Rancheria vowed to continue their efforts to obtain approval of the Barstow gaming compacts as the 2007 session of the California legislature convened last week.

Labor and environmental organizations have been instrumental in leading efforts to ratify the compacts. These include: Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), California State Building and Construction Trades, Sierra Club, California League of Conservation Voters, State Parks Foundation, Save-the Redwoods League, Teamsters, California Coastal Commission, Department of Fish and Game, Department of Parks and Recreation and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Only one gaming compact was approved before the 2006 legislative session ended last year on August 31. Despite receiving strong support from both the labor and environmental communities, the Big Lagoon and Los Coyotes compacts faced heavy opposition from well-heeled Southern California gaming tribes.

"The 500,000 Members of UNITEHERE, the international hotel and casino workers union, proudly stand with our friends in the Los Coyotes and Big Lagoon Tribes. We implore the State Legislature to ratify these Tribes' compacts with urgency, now that the State Legislature has reconvened for this year's session," said Jack Gribbon, California Political Director of UNITEHERE. "We applaud the Governor and the Tribes for including worker- friendly provisions and protections in the compacts, and we look forward to helping our tribal partners to advance their cause of economic self- sufficiency in the weeks and months ahead."

Gribbon continued: "The Los Coyotes Tribe is one of the largest and poorest of the tribes in California and the Big Lagoon Tribe has agreed to mitigate environmental issues beyond what any other Tribe in the nation has agreed to do. Their decision to work in concert with their host community, as well as their workforce, ensures that the larger community of California will benefit from their proposed development. The compacts with the Big Lagoon and Los Coyotes sovereign Indian Nations serve as a model for Indian compacts with the State of California. Importantly, these compacts have the overwhelming and passionate support of the local community of Barstow, as well as the enthusiastic support both of business and labor in that community. Additionally, these compacts serve significantly compelling state interests, in that precious coastal resources and truly endangered species will be saved for posterity, in the relocation of the casinos to the desert community of Barstow. These compacts bring together a 'perfect balance' in economic and environmental benefits, and deserve immediate ratification by our State's leaders in the Legislature."

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