Casino 580 Smoke Free Workplace

At approximately 3 pm today the designated smoking area was closed. I was told by the Management that it has to remain open but it will only be an emergency exit, the same as all of the other doors in the gaming area. I was further told by Management today that they will begin to abide by the local ordinance and only allow Customers to smoke if they are the minimum twenty feet away from any door. This is a great victory today that will significantly improve working conditions for all of us, and I am extremely grateful to everyone that took a stand. We will keep this petition open and continue to collect signatures, in case we need it. We will all still monitor the situation for a repeat of this infraction, or any other infraction and we will always take the necessary steps to demand fair treatment and conditions for all.

At the meeting with Owners last year we were told that the smoking area is within all legal guidelines. That’s why we dropped our fight. Health concerns raised recent questions, and after questioning HR about our rights, we were shut down. Doing our own research, we have come to believe that we are not being protected in our workplace from this serious exposure from second hand smoke and if you work in the casino you know it can be excessive at times. Our health should not be sacrificed for the convenience of the smokers. The City of Livermore smoking ordinance requires twenty feet of clearance between smoking area and entry doors. When several employees complained last year, the Manager posted a security guard to monitor smokers from reentering and exhaling smoke. Since then, they are back to allowing smokers to enter the casino exhaling smoke.