Wynn and Unions Reach Preliminary Agreement to End Encore Boston Harbor Strike

Wynn Resorts and unionised staff at Encore Boston Harbor reached a preliminary collective bargaining agreement that will end the strike at the Everett, Massachusetts resort. The ratification vote took place on 5 November after CEO Craig Billings announced the deal during the company’s third-quarter earnings call; the financial and contractual terms were not disclosed.

Vote and immediate outcome

Members of UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 voted to ratify the agreement on 5 November, ending a labour action that began on 4 September. Union leadership advised members to accept the proposal. Carlos Aramayo, President of UNITE HERE Local 26, said:

“Our members walked out not knowing what came next. They held the line through cold, rain and storm, and they held it together. Now they go back in as partners with Encore Boston Harbor, with respect on both sides. This community stood with us. Now we get to give it the five-star service it deserves.”

Wynn’s chief executive, Craig Billings, described the proposal as fair and financially sustainable over the long term during the earnings call on 5 November, but no monetary details were provided publicly.

Background to the dispute

More than 1,300 workers at Encore Boston Harbor — including housekeepers, slot attendants, waitstaff, delivery drivers and grounds staff — walked off on 4 September after previous agreements expired on 31 August. The unions had demanded wage increases of US$10 over three years for non-tipped employees and US$5 for tipped workers, alongside healthcare protections, preservation of existing benefits, improved job security and guaranteed working hours.

The strike had visible operational and fiscal effects in September. Massachusetts collected US$11.5m in tax revenue from the casino that month, the lowest level in more than five and a half years, down from US$14.8m in September 2025. The property reported US$46.1m in gaming revenue for September, a decline of more than 22 per cent year on year.

Corporate priorities beyond Boston

Billings told investors that Wynn’s immediate investment focus remains Wynn Al Marjan Island, a US$5.1bn resort in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, which is scheduled to open on 27 September 2027. He said most project costs are substantially locked in, handover of completed areas to operations is expected to begin in stages in the new year, and recruitment and employee training are already underway.

For more coverage of labour and operational impacts at major properties see the company briefing in our news section and related analysis for resort projects in b2b and casino.