Trump Taj Mahal workers to protest loss of health and pension benefits

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (WABC) -- Members of Unite-HERE union Local 54 will gather outside Atlantic City's Trump Taj Mahal Casino Friday, to protest the court-ordered loss of their health insurance and pension plans. Last week a federal bankruptcy court judge in Delaware approved Trump Entertainment Resort's request to terminate its contract with the union.

Taj Mahal workers health coverage is scheduled to end on Oct. 31. "We need to fight and get back what they took away from us," said Rafael Gonzalez, who has worked at the casino for the last 20 years. "We deserve to have health care coverage when we work so hard for this company."

Trump Entertainment Resorts had threatened to close the Taj Mahal on Nov. 13, unless it receives funding to sustain its benefit and pension costs.

Thanks to the promise of $100 million from billionaire investor Carl Icahn, the Taj Mahal resort will remain open through November, though management says it may then be forced to close unless it receives an additional $175 million from the state. Icahn's involvement is contingent upon the receipt of those funds - a request that has been previously denied by the legislature.

Icahn has said the union is refusing to work with him and "is instead doing everything to destroy the possibility of saving the jobs of over 3,000 employees."

Bob McDevitt, the union president, has said, "Mr. Icahn thinks he can get what he wants by using bankruptcy court and hiding behind judges ... In New Jersey, in this market, that's not the final arbitrator of how it's going to be. The workers are going to be heard and we are going to tell the world that this is not OK."

The protest is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday.