Horseshoe Indianapolis Picket Line Moved From Casino Property
Posted on: November 13, 2025, 10:36h.
Last updated on: November 13, 2025, 11:11h.
- A picket line at Horseshoe Indianapolis was told to move
- Teamsters filed a lawsuit against the police directive
- A federal judge sided with the casino
Table game employees and dual-rate dealer-supervisors at Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville have been on strike for nearly a month. Their picket line was recently forcibly moved by the property owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment, and a federal court has upheld the casino’s actions.
Roughly 200 workers at Horseshoe Indianapolis began picketing for a union contract at noon EST on October 17.
The strike happened after Caesars refused to allow an independent auditor to conduct the dealers’ vote regarding whether to unionize.
The federal government’s shutdown, which ended Wednesday night, put the union vote on hold. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) was considered a nonessential agency during the 43-day disruption.
Court Upholds Picket Move
The table-game dealers are considering joining the Teamster Local 135. Local law enforcement recently ordered the picketing workers to move from out front of the casino along Michigan Road.
The forcible relocation of the strike prompted Teamsters to file a lawsuit against the City of Shelbyville on allegations that its First Amendment rights had been violated.
“The Teamsters seek to preserve and exercise their constitutional and statutory rights to engage in lawful and peaceful picketing,” the complaint read.
The union contended that Michigan Rd. is a “public right-of-way” and that law enforcement wrongly forced the picketing workers to picket “far from the business … which all but defeats the purpose.”
Judge James Patrick Hanlon in Southern Indiana’s US District Court ruled against the union, saying that Michigan Rd. constitutes Horseshoe Indianapolis property because the casino owns the land on the opposite side of the road. Hanlon denied a request for a temporary restraining order.
The Teamsters do not dispute that Horseshoe Casino owns the parking lots across Michigan Road, or that the sidewalks, grassy areas, and landscaping along Michigan Road merely connect those parking lots with Horseshoe Casino’s facilities,” Hanlon wrote. “This case therefore appears to be like those cases holding that even publicly owned areas that include sidewalks are not traditional public fora when they are used for a limited purpose.”
Teamsters attorneys argued that Michigan Road is public infrastructure that includes the “publicly available” Pilot Travel Center.
“By all accounts, North Michigan Road is a public road that is freely accessible to the public,” they wrote. Hanlon disagreed.
Strike Continues
The NLRB reopened on November 13, following the end of the federal shutdown. The agency says it’s catching up on outstanding matters such as the proposed union vote at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
The independent agency of the federal government conducts elections on workers’ behalf. When the NLRB schedules an election, an employer like Caesars is required to post a notice of election before impacted workers.
The NLRB certifies or decertifies union election outcomes and assists unions and workers in defending their rights under the National Labor Relations Act.
Last Comments ( 3 )
they should be moved The last two times I was trying to leave the casino The girl walked in front of the car and the guy sit there with a bull horn in my ear trying to make a point if people aren't happy with their job why don't they just get another one seems like common sense to me
Well a bad time to walk picket lines. Cold, windy, mostly overcast gray skies and before long winter snows and icy roads sidewalk’s easements- and the casino will keep running 24/7 with or without you. When they first allowed casinos in Indiana there were no live table games and they all seemed to do well. In this age of AI coming you best start looking for jobs elsewhere. If you really want to be a Teamsters #135 member then go half by mile up the road to Kr distribution center- they’re always hiring.
Where is the strikers located? Will innocence people that just want to play slots. No tables still considered cause strikers lines?