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BP Representative Gets an Earful from Casino Employees

Posted on November 9th, 2010

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Biloxi beach started the week with casino workers rallying, demanding payment of their catastrophe claims from BP. On the other hand, Kenneth Feinberg, the claims administrator, had a meeting with the leading personalities of the area’s tourism industry. The meeting in Gulfport was for Feinberg to be given a crash course on the tourism industry of the Mississippi Coast. Meanwhile, on the beach, the protesters held placards and shouted they want BP to hear: “BP lied. We got denied!”. A casino dealer, Krista Mastroiani, said, “It’s being lied to and being told we haven’t lost our wages when we have lost wages.” Another dealer, Mike Mendoza, said that he is “pissed” because BP has denied all casinos any claims they have forwarded. Protestors asked for support from everyone, including passing vehicles.

This rally was attended by more than 50 workers from the casino industry in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi. Amidst the picturesque Biloxi Lighthouse, protesters marched for three hours along Highway 90 with signs that read “BP Unfair and Discriminates,” “No more lies,” “Everyone got paid, why not casino workers?”. Mendoza explained that they are protesting because each and every casino worker who filed a claim was denied. He finds it impossible that the company went through each and every casino employee claim and denied them all because all of them, truth be told, lost money because of the oil spill tragedy. He cites himself as an example, “I started two years ago making $52,000 a year, then $50,000. Now I’m scheduled to make $44,000 and they’re not saying we lost anything.” The casino workers claim that they have been in the front lines of the tourism industry, which suffered much because of the BP disaster. Yet, with this denial of their claims, they say that they have not received fair treatment, especially in the processing stage. A casino housekeeper present in the rally, Patreace Tucker, said that those working in other industries, such as fast food attendants, have already gotten their checks. She added, “I applied almost a month ago and I’m still under review and we need help. We’re suffering.”

In his meeting with tourism leaders of the area, which included members of the casino industry, Feinberg told those whoe were present that he is planning to hire more locals in the claims offices of the Coast so that there would be someone who would really be an expert on the situation of the claimants in the area. He also revealed that he will be employing a claims liaison that will focus on claims filed by employees of the casino industry. Feinberg has been in the receiving end of complaints about claims, including people who have pointed out that there have been discrepancies between amounts paid for losses that are actually the same type. He is currently making preparations for the switch from emergency payments made without the need for waivers to final payments in lump-sum, which requires their recipients to give up the right to take legal action against BP.

Almost 24 percent of emergency claims that have been filed in the state of Mississippi have already been paid off by the Gulf Coast Claims Facility of Feinberg. The 24 percent has so far been processed for 3 months, since August. There are still, however, more than 900 claims from casino employees, of which only six have been paid so far. With that, Feinberg reminded those who are claiming that their claims must prove that their lost wages is related to the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. He has received the ire of casino industry employees for his previous statement, including one when he said that casinos are not really that dependent on the beach and the Gulf compared to other industries. However, representatives of the tourism industry explained to him in the hour-long meeting that tourists come to the area to dine, fish and gamble. The tourism industry leaders taught him that the gambling halls in the area are a major attraction in the Coast. Beverly Martin, executive director of the Mississippi Casino Operators Association explained that Feinberg was not clear that the tourist market of the area is quite diverse and that the industries are very dependent on each other. She added, “I think he at least has an open mind and will go into this a little more open-minded.”