A company that provided workers to the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in the western part of North Carolina plans to lay off 88 workers in March.
The Service Cos. says the Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise, which operates the resort, has decided not to renew its service agreement, and that the workers will be terminated on March 4, according to a filing with the N.C. Department of Commerce.
But the workers may not be out of a job, says Paul Worley, director of economic and workforce development in Cherokee County. He says he was told that the workers will be hired as casino employees by Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise.
Representatives from The Service Cos. and the resort did not reply to requests for comment. According to the Smoky Mountain News, the Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise recently cut its budget for the 2024 fiscal year due to declining casino revenues.
Among the cuts were $2.1 million from eliminated vacant budgeted positions and $4.7 million from tribal operations achieved primarily through contracts, training, travel and office supply reductions.
The layoffs include 26 guest room attendants and 11 room attendants, as well as six room inspectors and three drivers.
The Service Cos. provides staffing in the hospitality, gaming, healthcare, education, and corporate catering industries. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Miramar, Florida.
The company says it cleans 8,783 guest rooms daily for a total of 3.2 million annually.
The resort opened in 2015. A $275 million, 25,000-square-foot expansion to the gaming area is nearing completion and is expected to open later this year.