Well, I didn’t see that coming.
Madison — In an attempt to boost the chances of Gov. Scott Walker approving a casino in Kenosha, the Menominee tribe and a labor organization have dissolved a 10-year-old agreement that would have made it easy for casino workers to form a union.
“We believe this is one more potential impediment removed,” said Gary Besaw, a member of the tribal legislature and chairman of the Menominee Kenosha Gaming Authority.
The tribe has been pursuing a casino in Kenosha going back to the 1990s. In August 2013, the U.S. Department of Interior approved the latest plan for a casino, leaving it to Walker to make the final decision. Walker has until Feb. 19 to make up his mind.
In 2004, the tribe reached a deal with a United Food and Commercial Workers local that would have allowed workers to form a union using “card check” if the casino were approved.
Based on what Walker has been saying, I don’t think this has much to do with his decision making process, but it certainly can’t hurt. It is pretty clear that the Menominee are bending over backwards to try to get this deal done.
Walker is never going to approve this. Doyle made the Potawatomi compact so unworkable and the consequences so dire, it would be destructive to state finances to approve this casino.