ACTION ! ! !

There will be another rally supporting casino workers' claims this Tuesday, December 7, at the lighthouse, from 10am until 2pm.  There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes for our situation.  Keeping up the public pressure can only be positive.  David Vincent, WLOX General Manager, recently produced a very strong editorial comment on our behalf, and we do expect additional coverage at the rally.  We feel very strongly that we may yet have a positive outcome, but we have been treated very unfairly so far, and our story needs to be told.  Please try to get out as many people as possible...

 

WLOX Editorial

Casino workers claims should not be denied

Updated: Dec 02, 2010 6:04 AM CST

We hope Kenneth Feinberg who is administering some $20 billion in BP oil claims will take a hard look at the casino workers in South Mississippi. The casino workers are a big part of our tourist industry. There are thousands of them working in the coast's 11 casinos. Many of them work as dealers or work in one of the many casino restaurants.
So when the oil spill news made national headlines and coast tourism took a big drop last summer, the paychecks of many of these workers dropped as well. A lot of casino employees depend on tips to help round out their income. If there are fewer tourists coming to the coast, it would stand to reason that the tips would decrease as well.
Claims should not be systemically denied just because someone works at a casino. If a casino employee can show their income has dropped this year, then we believe they should be considered for some payment.
This is not about greed or trying to get something for nothing. These are legitimate claims being made by thousands of Gulf Coast families that are trying to pay the mortgage and put food on the table. Everyone who has been impacted by the oil spill should be eligible to receive some compensation. To leave an entire group out of the process is just not right.
That's our opinion, we would like to hear yours. Email your thoughts to editorials@wlox.com, or post your comments below.
David Vincent
WLOX-TV General Manager