TRENTON, Sept 16, 2014 – Governor Chris Christie will continue assisting workers impacted by the recent casino closings in Atlantic City by deploying a large team of Department of Labor and Workforce Development staffers tomorrow to Boardwalk Hall to meet with those affected by today’s closing of Trump Plaza Casino.

The Department of Labor has already been meeting with Trump Plaza workers inside the casino for the past two weeks, before the closing, offering guidance on job training opportunities, skills assessments, resume development, filing for unemployment insurance, job search assistance and referrals to the state’s Jersey Job Clubs. Tomorrow, a Department of Labor team will continue to offer those services, with a focus on assisting with unemployment insurance claims, when the Unite Here casino union re-establishes its Atlantic City Unites Here resource center for displaced workers at Boardwalk Hall, 2301 Boardwalk, in Atlantic City.

The union had initially opened a resource center on Sept. 3 at the Atlantic City Convention center following the closings of Showboat Atlantic City Hotel and Casino and the Revel Casino Hotel. The new center is relocating to Boardwalk Hall because it is close to Trump Plaza.

“We will follow the same successful formula we used on Sept. 3, when Unite Here opened its first resource center. We had more than 40 staff out there and assisted about 500 people on the first day. While we anticipate far fewer workers this time, we will be ready to offer any casino worker whatever assistance they may require with a focus on getting them immediately re-employed,” said Labor Commissioner Harold J. Wirths. “We have been bringing the full resources of my department to this re-employment effort since the first casino announced it was closing in Atlantic City back in January and we will remain here for as long as necessary.”

Last week, the Department of Labor hosted its largest single career fair at the Atlantic City Convention Center, where more than 1,500 job-seekers turned out to meet with 60 employers who were looking to fill about 1,500 positions. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) provided the Convention Center space for the career fair and the Unite Here resource center, and it is providing the Boardwalk Hall space for the new resource center.

The Unite Here union, which represents many casino workers in Atlantic City, plans to keep the new resource center open through Friday, Sept. 19, to offer personal and social assistance to the displaced casino workers alongside the Department of Labor services.

Impacted workers are being instructed to use the state’s http://careerconnections.nj.gov/ website, where they can upload resumes through the OnRamp service or allow the system to create resumes that will share their profiles with thousands of employers. OnRamp is currently listing about 300,000 available positions inside New Jersey and within a 50 mile radius of the state. Jobs4Jersey.com also links to the Jersey Job Clubs, which provide job-seekers with the latest data on emerging industries and employment prospects.

The Department of Labor continues to assist affected workers in coordination with the casinos, Atlantic City officials, several South Jersey county leaders and other key partners, including the New Jersey Hospitality, Tourism and Retail Talent Network; Atlantic Cape May and Cumberland Salem Workforce Investment Boards; the Atlantic Cape Community College, business organizations and state and local economic development organizations.

The Atlantic City Unites Here Center will be open daily at 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To keep alert to all state Department of Labor activities and services regarding Atlantic City, go to: http://careerconnections.nj.gov/ and click on the Atlantic City Reemployment button.

Employers interested in hiring the displaced casino workers should send an email to: jobs4jerseyemployer@dol.state.nj.us

James Manning of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
was among more than 40 state staffers who offered re-employment assistance to workers
impacted by Atlantic City casino closings when the United Here casino union opened a
response center on Sept. 3 to aid casino workers for a week at the Atlantic City Convention
Center.  The department will again deploy staff tomorrow to Atlantic City when United Here
opens its new center at Boardwalk Hall to assist workers impacted by today’s closing of
Trump Plaza Casino.