Dealers at Foxwoods Casino voted to unionize last year.

The Providence Journal / Bill Murphy

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council this week certified the United Auto Workers as the representative of nearly 3,000 Foxwoods Resort Casino employees who seek a labor contract with the Connecticut gambling venue.

The U.S. National Labor Relations Board in September ordered the casino to bargain with the dealers and assistant floor supervisors the UAW represents.

The Mashantucket Pequots, the owners of Foxwoods, until this week had refused to recognize the vote made last November by nearly 3,000 casino dealers to join the UAW. The tribe maintains that the UAW and the NLRB have no jurisdiction at Foxwoods because the casino is owned and run by a sovereign nation.

The two sides earlier this month agreed to enter into discussions for 30 days to determine whether an agreement can be reached to bargain under tribal law without either party waiving any of their rights or legal positions under the National Labor Relations Act.

The vote by the Mashantuckets made on Tuesday and announced yesterday is not a collective bargaining agreement, but allows contract negotiations to start.

pgrimald@projo.com