Despite likely defeat, unions push governor’s casino proposal

By Globe Staff

Union leaders continue to lobby lawmakers this morning to pass Governor Deval Patrick’s resort casino proposal despite mounting odds after the bill suffered a major defeat in a legislative committee.

Robert J. Haynes, the president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, sent an e-mail to all 160 members of the House of Representatives warning that a vote against the plan could jeopardize support from organized labor in future elections.

“The Massachusetts AFL-CIO, representing 400,000 working families from 750 local unions across Massachusetts, is giving the Legislature this fair notice that we may consider every vote on destination resort casinos a Labor Vote,” Haynes wrote in the e-mail, which was distributed to reporters.

Haynes wrote that a vote against the proposal could have a “drastic impact on your Labor Voting Record upon which endorsements for incumbents are based.” His entire e-mail can be read here.

After a four-hour delay with parliamentary wrangling, a legislative committee recommended Wednesday that lawmakers reject Patrick’s casino proposal by a vote of 10-8, with one abstention.

The action by the committee will allow the full House to take up the measure today. Traditionally, the recommendation of a committee vote carries great weight on the floor, which means the bill will likely fail.

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