When State Representative Ed Coppinger (D-West Roxbury) voted with the Massachusetts House in favor of passing expanded gaming legislation last week, it was in part because his own amendment had been adopted into House Bill 3702.

Amendment 104, written and sponsored by Coppinger, would require that applicants for gaming licenses to "answer detailed questions on a variety of issues such as: wages and benefits for future employees, the amount each applicant plans to invest in the casino and whether the applicant has plans for assuring labor harmony during all phases of construction, renovation, development and operation of the gaming establishment," according to a press release from Coppinger's office.

“I am a strong supporter of expanding gaming in Massachusetts, but it must be done carefully and I believe this amendment will enact proper and necessary safeguards for future casino employees across the state,” said Coppinger.

The Amendment addressed Section 18 of the bill, which addresses how applicants for the licenses will be judged by the newly-established Gaming Commission. The Amendment, as authored by Coppinger, read as follows, meaning that the following points would be taken into consideration by the Commision:

• Whether the applicant has a contract with organized labor and has the support of organized labor for its application.
• The number of employees to be employed at the resort casino, including detailed information on the pay rate and benefits for employees, including any contractors; the total amount of investment by the applicant in the resort casino, including all facilities located at the casino site and all infrastructure improvements related to the project; completed studies and reports as required by the authority, which shall include, but are not limited to, an economic benefit study, both for the commonwealth and region.
• Whether the applicant has included detailed plans for assuring labor harmony during all phases of the construction, re-construction, renovation, development and operation of the gaming establishment.

"The Gaming Commission will be required by my amendment to closely consider each applicant’s labor positions and also issue a statement of findings on these issues," Coppinger said.

Because only three casinos and one slots parlor would be built in Massachusetts, the competition for licenses figures to be quite high. By requiring all applicants to explain their relationship with labor, and by producing a statement of their own regarding these issues, Coppinger's hope is that the Gaming Commission would be influenced to award the licenses to the most labor-friendly applicants.

The House voted 123-32 in favor of the Casino Bill on Wednesday. The Senate revealed its own version of the Bill on Friday. Coppinger's amendment appears in the early version of Senate Bill 2015. A full debate is scheduled for the Senate on Sept. 26.