My family and I need the State to help us out so I can keep my job.” “It’s really disheartening to feel that all that work, all that success, is being thrown away. “I’ve been at Vernon for just over 13 years now, I basically worked my way up – I started as a dishwasher, and now I’m one of the lead line cooks, the fine dining venue at Vernon,” said Dale Nicholas, a lead line cook and Union Steward at Vernon Downs. The legislative session ends on June 8, leaving representatives with less than one month to act. This $2 million vendor fee increase would allow Vernon Downs to break even, remain open and save 250 union jobs. Last year New York State collected $13 million in tax revenue from Vernon Downs. Workers United is calling for the state to grant Vernon Downs $2 million in tax relief by reconsidering its request to restore the previous 6.4% agent commission fee. Vernon Downs filed a WARN notice with the New York State Department of Labor on Tuesday to notify that it will shut down and lay off 250 employees in stages by December 31, as it cannot continue operating without the increased agent commission – the portion of net win paid to casino operators as compensation for running a gaming facility. President and CEO of Vernon Downs Jeff Gural (Lisa Photo) Harness racing at the track would then shut down by early September. Rochester, NY – Workers United Upstate New York, the labor union representing Vernon Downs Casino Hotel employees, announces the racino will be forced to close in stages by the end of this year.

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