In today’s News and Commentary, Encore Boston Harbor casino workers begin to strike, President Trump commutes the sentence of a former Philadelphia IBEW leader, and a Durham labor activist ends his hunger strike against Amazon.

On Friday, hundreds of resort and casino workers at Encore Boston Harbor kicked off Labor Day weekend with a strike. Bargaining between the unions and Wynn Resorts has stalled, with the previous contract having expired on August 31. Nearly 1,400 “housekeepers, cooks, servers, bartenders, slot attendants, warehouse workers and drivers” are represented by UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25, making up 41 percent of Encore’s staff. Encore will remain open, staffed by replacement workers and non-union workers, though the unions have requested that patrons not cross the picket line. Wynn Resorts has indicated that the company intends to continue negotiations, though Encore employees intend to be on strike until a contract is reached. The employees’ primary concern is improving their wages and benefits, with Local 26 shop steward Keenan Green noting that Encore “is a 5-star resort. We need to be paid and treated like we’re 5-star employees.”

On Thursday, President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of former Philadelphia IBEW leader John Dougherty, also known as “Johnny Doc.” In 2021, Dougherty resigned from his post of three decades after being convicted of bribing a City Council member. Dougherty served two years out of his six-year sentence before being released last week. Before President Trump signed his commutation, Dougherty had unsuccessfully petitioned for his release to house arrest in order to care for his sick wife. Dougherty had been known as a “Democratic power broker” in state politics throughout his tenure as a union leader. Dougherty’s attorney, George Bochetto, thanked the president for “ris[ing] above partisan politics and recogniz[ing] the need and the compassion that this case presented and commut[ing] John’s sentence so he can return home and take care of his wife.”

Finally, Durham labor activist Italo Medelius-Marsano ended his 40-day hunger strike protesting Amazon’s work conditions on Friday. Medelius-Marsano began the hunger strike in July, following the death of a coworker at the Amazon facility where he worked. Though Amazon said that Medelius-Marsano was terminated in June, he claims he continued in his position, which requires forklift work and heavy lifting, despite consuming only water throughout the month. Carolina Amazonian United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE) led an unsuccessful union drive in 2025. Having recently been elected president of CAUSE, Medelius-Marsano had three demands for the company: first, ending the policy discouraging workers from calling 911 (a policy which Amazon denies); second, implementing town hall meetings at warehouses to allow workers to discuss unionization; and third, negotiating with the Amazon Labor Union. Medelius-Marsano ended his strike with a communion wafer at mass, where his family, friends, coworkers, and even Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams joined him to express their support.