The Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council said its 8,000 union members endorsed the proposal, called the Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan. The proposed casino plan will be voted on in the November state elections.
The plan calls for a minimum of $1 billion in new private investment. The casino plan would boost state tax revenues by $651 million and create 20,000 new jobs, supporting Ohio contractors and providing a boost for construction equipment, the council said.
"Regardless of one's view of gambling, it is a fact that Ohio residents are currently exporting the jobs and tax revenue associated with it to neighboring states," the council said in a letter signed by executive secretary-treasurer Pasquale Manzi.
Other labor organizations have endorsed the Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan, including the Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, the Ironworkers of Southern Ohio and Vicinity District Council and Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 189 of Columbus.
