James Whelan, state assemblyman and former mayor of Atlantic City, has called for an investigation into the recent layoffs of Tropicana employees including Vincent Rennich, a casino supervisor who contracted lung cancer while he was an employee of the boardwalk casino.
Since the Tropicana’s parent company Aztar has been bought by Columbia Sussex Corporation, approximately 15 percent of the workforce has been laid off. This has equated to hundreds of employees.
Rennich contends that his layoff was simply a means of silencing him as he has been an outspoken critic of the casino’s Laissez-faire policy towards employee exposure to second hand smoke.
Rennich contends that he contracted lung cancer as an employee since he never smoked. He has mentioned in an earlier 777.com article that his most recent evaluation was a good one. Last year Rennich filed a lawsuit against the Tropicana in regards to non protection of its employees.
Whelan has asked various state regulating agencies to find out whether The Tropicana violated any state labor practices with its layoffs. Contending that in exchange for low state taxes the casinos were to provide jobs and benefits Tropicana has reneged on this implicit agreement.
This reporter was to have today done a video interview with another supervisor, who has been one of the leaders in the fight to close the loophole on casino smoking. However after Rennich’s discharge he has changed his mind.
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