FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 18, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 25
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Accelerated growth of Resorts World New York City brings game-changing jobs to Queens
BY FIORE ROMAN, ANNIE
RAMKIRATH AND NATHAN
MCFARLANE
Not all jobs are created equally. Th at’s a
lesson that we have learned the hard way.
Part-time positions with no health insurance,
letters & comments
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being forced to live paycheck-topaycheck,
not being able to make enough
to get by on a daily basis let alone save and
plan for the future — that’s the collective
experience we, like a lot of other working
New Yorkers, shared.
But that all changed when we got our
jobs with Resorts World New York City.
Now, we make family-sustaining salaries
of about $70,000 per year, with cost-free,
high-quality healthcare and defi ned pension
plans. And we fi nally have the ability
to save money and plan for the unforeseen
events that life always seems to throw your
way at the worst times. Combined with
the strongest workplace protections in the
industry thanks to our union contract,
our jobs at Resorts World are truly unique
and game-changing for our families.
We know we’re lucky. Th roughout this
pandemic, we’ve seen family members,
friends and other people in our communities
get laid off . We’ve seen friends have
their paychecks take drastic cuts due to
having their hours reduced. And we’ve
heard the horror stories from them about
seeing their healthcare disappear, even as
the neighborhoods where we live have
been some of the hardest hit by COVID-
19.
As employees of Resorts World New
York City, we can see the doors that would
open for so many people if existing facilities
like ours were allowed to grow into
a full-scale casino. It’s even more exciting
to know that many of those people
would look like us, as most of Resorts
World’s employees are people of color.
Additionally, with a commitment to hire
in and around the area, we know a majority
of these positions would be fi lled by
friends and neighbors, rather than those
coming from outside the community.
Th ese workers would also have a union
that would stand up for them, and in
this moment, where we’ve seen a growing
divide between protections aff orded
to union and non-union workers, having
a union can mean all the diff erence
in the world.
Th ey would have job security and they
wouldn’t have to worry about when their
next paycheck was coming in and whether
it would cover all their expenses.
When we were asked to share our stories
to show lawmakers why the state
and New York families would signifi cantly
benefi t from accelerating the growth
of existing gaming facilities like Resorts
World, we were happy to, because we’ve
seen how positively our jobs have impacted
our lives, and our hope is that more
people like us can benefi t and reap the
rewards of new good-paying union jobs.
Sometimes it’s hard to truly understand
the impact of what a good union job
means to a family’s stability and survivability
unless you see it for yourself.
Well, look no further than these words
because while they come from just three
workers among many, it could be many
more if the state allowed for an acceleration
of the growth of existing gaming
facilities like Resorts World.
“With the income I’m making now, my
life changed a lot. I’m able to support my
son by myself. We’ve got health insurance.
I’m able to put money away for my son’s
college. Th ose things I couldn’t do before
making $8 an hour.” - Fiore Roman, VIP
ambassador, Resorts World New York City
“I remember what it was like before I
started at Resorts World in Queens. No
healthcare. Bills piling up. Resorts World
changed that. My salary doubled. My
whole family is covered. We could fi nally
pay our bills. And we kept it all during
COVID. Resorts World – they’re doing so
much for Queens, my family and this city.”
- Annie Ramkirath, food and beverage
manager, Resorts World New York City
“Today, I make over $70,000 a year.
Being able to provide for my children – it’s
been everything to me. We have healthcare,
an awesome pension plan, our funds
are stacking up for when we’re ready to
retire. Expanding a facility like Resorts
World, it’s gonna off er more jobs for the
community.” - Nathan McFarlane, slot
attendant, Resorts World New York City
We are fortunate and we are thankful
for the good-paying union jobs we have.
We would like that success to be felt by
other families too because allowing for
the growth of existing gaming facilities
now can be the shot in the arm we need
we all need in this COVID moment. And
we urge the state to make the right decision
and take action.
Fiore Roman, Annie Ramkirath and
Nathan McFarlane are all employees of
Resorts World New York City. Th ey’re currently
featured in a social media campaign
aimed at raising awareness of the critical
role Resorts World New York City plays in
good paying union job creation, economic
opportunity and revenue generation for
New York’s public schools.
WE SHOULD ALL BE
CELEBRATING WOMEN’S
HISTORY MONTH
March is “Women’s History Month,”
which is a time to honor women of our
past and our present who have made a difference
in our country.
Th ese women have made what America
is today. Th eir accomplishments range
widely — women in our country have
achieved success in law, economics, science,
nursing, teaching, the medical profession,
athletics and space exploration,
among other fi elds.
Th ese women have accomplished so
much due to their courage and dedication.
Th ey had a dream and would not let
anyone deny them. But I think we should
never forget all that they did and still do to
make a better world for all of us.
But there are others whom we should
not forget: Women who are wives and
mothers who have so much love for family
and the community in which they live.
Th ey truly deserve recognition for all that
they do.
My wife Eva and I have been married
for more than 33 years and she has shown
so much love for her daughter Susan and
me. She has also done what she can to
help others in need. She even has helped
our elderly neighbor next door and has
proven to be a good friend to her.
Th en there is my mother who was dedicated
to our family and the church and
did a lot of charity work. My mother’s
name was Teresa Bedell. She would oft en
do volunteer work collecting funds in
our neighborhood of Queens Village for
the Cancer Society, Muscular Dystrophy
Foundation and Grace Lutheran Church.
She belonged to the Ladies Aid Society
who helped those with cancer.
My mother died at age 53 when I was
14 years old. I think she died so young
because she cared so much for so many
people who were hurting. Th ere are so
many women like my wife and my mother
whose compassion and dedication to
help others should be applauded. Th ese
women are truly great in my book!
Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Bellerose
PROPOSED HOSPITAL
CUTS MAKE NO SENSE
Potential threats for reducing capacity
at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in the
Rockaways make no sense when you look
at past history.
Since the 1980s, I believe a handful
of Queens hospitals have closed, including
Little Neck (previously known as
Deepdale) in 1996; Holliswood in 2013;
St. John’s in 2009; Kew Gardens General in
1987; Parkway in 2008; Mary Immaculate
in 2009; and Peninsula in 2014.
Developers and other investors benefi
ted from some of these closings. Others
could make the case that this may have
been short-sighted when thinking long
term. Th is lost capacity could have been
helpful in dealing with today’s ongoing
COVID-19 medical emergency.
We should learn from previous experience
and suspend the closing or consolidation of
hospitals in Queens and New York City.
Why not convert any portions of underutilized
hospitals to learning facilities for
doctors, nurses, dietitians and other hospital
employees? Or use them as training
facilities for volunteer ambulance workers,
National Guard and other military
medical units? Or prepare unused sections
so they could quickly become up
and running in case of emergencies?
As our population will continue to grow
and age over coming years, now is not the
time to close any more hospitals.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
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