Gujarati workers of US hotel, formerly owned by Donald Trump, to seek support in Ahmedabad for their struggle

By A Representative
In a rare show of effort to seek support in Gujarat, leaders of the protesting workers working in the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel of the US have decided to hold a public meeting at the Ahmedabad Textile Management Association (ATMA) auditorium, Ahmedabad on May 11.
To be held between 4 pm and 7 pm in the auditorium situated on Ashram Road, Ahmedabad, three of the leaders, who happen to be from Gujarat, will be “sharing lessons from the strike – and to learn from the working class movement in India”, says Ashim Roy of the Chemical Mazdoor Panchayat, who is organizing the event.
Things began on July 1, 2016, when more than 1,000 cooks, housekeepers, bellmen, bartenders, and food servers from the Trump Taj Mahal hotel in Atlantic City, USA, went on strike. Originally built by US president Donald Trump, the Trump Taj Mahal, over the last 12 years, cut pay and benefits for workers by 35 per cent, sending many into poverty.

Atlantic City is situated along the Atlantic Ocean, and is about 200 km -- or nearly two hours drive towards the south of New York city. Atlantic City is one of the three major spots in US where Americans throng to play casino, the other two being Las Vegas and Reno Nevada.

“The workers had had enough”, says Roy, adding, “They decided it was time to stand up, and defend all the rights that the union had fought for in Atlantic City.”
He states, “The workers were immigrants from all over the world – India, Mexico, China, and many other countries – but they stood together and refused to be divided by the boss. They supported each other through a 102 day strike, demanding justice.”
According to Roy, “On October 10, the Trump Taj Mahal closed down. But the workers had succeeded in defending the union standard for wages and benefits in Atlantic City. They had gone on strike knowing that if they let the Trump Taj Mahal take away their rights, then every other hotel employer in Atlantic City would try to do the same thing to 10,000 of their fellow union members.”
“The Trump Taj Mahal workers came to the US as immigrants from many different countries. So the solidarity they received from workers and unions around the world was very important. It built up their morale, and reminded them that this fight is global”, Roy says.
“It was especially important to receive support from India. Many of the workers came from Gujarat, and were key leaders in this fight. Not one Indian worker crossed the picket line during the strike”, he added, pointing towards the reason why they decided to hold a public meeting at ATMA auditorium.

Three of the Gujarati worker-leaders from the strike are visiting India, to share lessons from the strike – and to learn from the working class movement in India”, Roy says, adding, “The workers will talk about the economic model that allows billionaires like Donald Trump to get richer, while the workers get poorer.”
“They will also talk about working conditions in US hotels, the need to organize and fight, and what they had to do in order to sustain the longest strike in Atlantic City’s history”, he noted.

Comments

'Tax the top': Nationwide protests demand action as 1% control 40% of India’s wealth

By A Representative Civil rights groups across the country observed the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh on March 23, as people from diverse backgrounds united to raise their voices against growing economic inequality. The mobilisations marked the launch of a nationwide campaign against inequality, running from March 23 to April 14 (Ambedkar Jayanti), under the banner of the “Tax The Top” campaign.

Fair prices, fresh produce: Vegetable market opens in Rajasthan tribal village

By Vikas Meshram* On 18 March 2026, the tribal village of Sajjangarh in southern Rajasthan witnessed the grand and dignified inauguration of a new vegetable market (mandi). Established through the tireless joint efforts of the Krushi Avam Adivasi Swaraj Sangathan (Bhilkuaan) and Vaagdhara, under the active leadership of the Gram Panchayat of Sajjangarh, the market is being hailed as a cornerstone for local self-governance, self-reliance, and a sustainable rural economy.

Beyond India-China borders: Economic links expand, political gaps persist

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Despite growing trade between India and China, a persistent trust deficit continues to shape their bilateral relationship. Expanding economic engagement has not fully resolved political differences, many of which stem from historical legacies as well as contemporary geopolitical concerns. Border disputes—often traced to colonial-era arrangements—remain a significant obstacle to deeper cooperation, while differing strategic alignments in global affairs add further complexity.

Gujarat cadre to HDFC: When bureaucratic style hits corporate walls

By Rajiv Shah I was a little amused by the abrupt March 17, 2026 resignation of Atanu Chakraborty —a Gujarat cadre IAS officer of the 1985 batch who retired from the government in 2020—as chairman of HDFC Bank . Much of what may have led to his decision to quit this ostensibly high post—actually a non-executive, part-time role—is by now well known. I followed most of it online with considerable interest, partly because I had interacted with him umpteen times during my stint as The Times of India correspondent in Gandhinagar from 1997 to 2012.

Ex-IAS Atanu Chakraborty and a tale of two different Gujarat vision documents

By Rajiv Shah The likely appointment of Atanu Chakraborty as HDFC Bank chairman interested me for several reasons, but above all because I have interacted with him closely during my more than 14 year stint in Gandhinagar for the “Times of India”. One of the few decent Gujarat cadre bureaucrats, Chakraborty, belonging to the 1985 IAS batch, at least till I covered Sachivalaya was surely above controversies. He loved to remain faceless, never desired publicity, was professional to the core, and never indulged in loose talk. When he neared retirement, which happened in April 2020, first there were rumours in Sachivalaya that he would be appointed SEBI chairman, and then there was talk he would be chairman (or was it CEO?) of Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City (a dream project of Narendra Modi as Gujarat chief minister, which as Prime Minister Modi wants to promote, come what may). But, for some strange reasons, and I don’t know why, none of this happened, despite the fact...

Witnessing Iran beyond propaganda: Truth, war, and the path beyond western paradigm

By Naile Manjarrés On June 23, 2025—marked as the 2nd of Tir, 1404, on the Persian calendar—a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced. This "night of the decree" shifted the trajectory of global affairs; although the world may appear unchanged on the surface, we have yet to fully grasp its impact.

Operation Epic Fury: Making America great at the world’s expense?

By N.S. Venkataraman* The decades-long enmity between Iran and Israel is well-documented, but historically, their direct confrontations have been brief, constrained by the logistical and economic limitations of sustained warfare. The current conflict in the Middle East, however, marks a radical and dangerous departure from this pattern.

Environmental expert urges policy overhaul as forest and water resources face critical decline

By A Representative On the occasion of World Forest Day and World Water Day , observed on March 21 and 22, environmental voices from the Western Ghats have issued a stark warning to the Union government, calling for an urgent paradigm shift in how India manages its interconnected natural resources. In a formal communication addressed to Union Minister for Jal Shakti , Sri C R Patil , and Union Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change , Sri Bhupendra Yadav , policy analyst Shankar Sharma has highlighted a growing disconnect between sectoral policies and the holistic reality of resource governance.

From chemicals to self-reliance: Women-led initiatives drive sustainable farming push

By Bharat Dogra Farmers in Bariyarpur village of Ajaygarh block (Panna, Madhya Pradesh) are increasingly adopting sustainable and self-reliant farming practices, responding enthusiastically to new opportunities created by recent development initiatives.

Search This Blog