Encore Boston Harbor workers end strike after contract deal

Approximately 1,300 employees at Encore Boston Harbor ratified a new collective bargaining agreement on Thursday, bringing a close to a labor strike that lasted for two months. Workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 originally walked off the job on September 4 after their previous labor contract expired at the end of August.

The striking personnel included housekeepers, cooks, servers, bartenders, slot attendants, warehouse staff, and drivers at the Everett resort. Union members had sought pay comparable to that offered at unionized downtown hotels, stronger job protections, healthcare benefits, and guaranteed working hours. The sixty-three-day strike disrupted operations at the casino and coincided with a sharp decline in gaming revenue during the autumn months.

Carlos Aramayo, president of UNITE HERE Local 26, said that members held the line through cold, rain, and storms without knowing what came next. He said that employees now go back into the resort as partners with mutual respect on both sides.

Wynn Resorts welcomed the settlement and said it reached an agreement that works for its employees and the resort's long-term future. Company representatives said they look forward to having their entire workforce together again as operations resume normal schedules.

Prior to the walkout, hourly wages at the facility ranged from fifteen to thirty-two dollars, and union leaders pressed for wage increases to match other five-star properties in the Boston area. The resort previously reported taking in eight hundred forty-seven million dollars in revenue in 2025, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Company officials said the facility will work to restore regular staffing levels across all dining, gaming, and hospitality departments starting next week.