When Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort closed for good in October 2016, two men shouldered the lion’s share of public scorn: property owner Carl Icahn and Bob McDevitt, president of casino-worker union Unite Here Local 54. Less than two years later, one of them claimed absolution as the property was reopened as the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
“Absolutely, we do,” McDevitt replied when asked whether the union felt vindicated after its role in the Taj Mahal closure. Icahn could not be reached for comment. Icahn and McDevitt engaged in a bitter dispute over employee benefits and compensation, resulting in a workers’ strike that lasted 102 days. The standoff led to the casino hotel’s closing and nearly 2,000 lost jobs.