Virginia: Labor union says it’s filing FOIA suit over secretive Petersburg casino process

Tuesday, April 30, 2024 3:14 PM
  • Graham Moomaw, Virginia Mercury

A hospitality workers’ union trying to ensure Petersburg picks a labor-friendly developer for its planned casino says it will sue the city over alleged transparency violations after the City Council appeared to make major decisions on the casino project behind closed doors.

Unite Here, a union that represents casino workers across the country, announced Tuesday that it will file a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Petersburg City Council over its surprise decision to cancel a competitive bidding process and give the casino project to The Cordish Companies, a development company based in Baltimore.

That vote occurred in a matter of minutes at an April 24 meeting after the City Council spent more than an hour and a half in closed session.