A pending change in management at Hollywood Park Casino has left hundreds of workers feeling helpless. Some 600 Hollywood Park employees were given layoff notices Monday, and while the new operator sais most will still have jobs, all current employees will have to re-apply. Angie Crouch reports from Inglewood for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Feb. 5, 2013.
It's hard for employees at Hollywood Park Casino to feel that the odds of keeping their jobs are in their favor.
Their current employer has informed them that they will no longer be employed later this year.
"Everybody's crying and worried too much because we depend on this job to pay the mortgage and support the families," said sasino worker Rosendo Caldera.
Dozens of workers planned to attend an Inglewood City Council meeting Tuesday night, hoping to influence the new operator of the casino to retain the employees.
The mayor of Inglewood said he's going to do what he can, but right now, that's not much.
"These people are experienced, they're trained, so it's in everybody's best interest to bring as many employees across as possible," said Mayor James T. Butts, Jr.
"But as far as us dictating the terms of the contract that he enters into with his future employees, we wouldn't do that. And right now it wouldn't even be legal for him to enter into an agreement because he hasn't been licensed by the state or the city, so he couldn't negotiate a contract right now."
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Deven Kumar, chief financial officer for the company that hopes to take over operations, told NBC4 that many workers will keep their jobs. But every worker will have to re-apply for employment.
