More than 200 workers at Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville plan to strike after their scheduled union election was delayed indefinitely due to the federal government shutdown.
The National Labor Relations Board, which oversees union elections, has suspended operations during the shutdown. Teamsters Local 135 President Dustin Roach said workers proposed keeping the original election date, Oct. 17, by using a neutral third party to oversee the vote.
Roach said casino management has not responded to that proposal and instead escalated what the union described as an “aggressive anti-union campaign.”
The striking workers include dealers and dual-rate employees — staff who both supervise the casino floor and deal table games. The Teamsters say the goal of the strike is to push Horseshoe management to agree to an alternate voting process.
It’s unusual for workers to strike before receiving formal union recognition. The Teamsters called the move “virtually unseen in the modern labor movement,” though Roach said it’s protected under the National Labor Relations Act.
Horseshoe Indianapolis, owned by Caesars Entertainment, was Indiana’s second-highest revenue casino in 2024, generating $336 million, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal. The company has not publicly commented on the planned strike.
