Following two and a half years of negotiations, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians has reached a compromise with the State of California and achieved a compact that will allow the tribe to install up to 7,500 gaming machines. The agreement is projected to deliver over US$3 billion in additional revenue over the term of the compact, which will expire in 2030. The negotiations to amend the former compact were to enable the Morongo Band to meet growing market demands.

In a statement released yesterday the Morongo Band claims that the compromise reached does not accomplish all it had wanted but will serve the best interests of both tribal members and the state. An estimated 4,000 new jobs will be created and a minimum of US$2 billion annually will be added in new economic activity. It is claimed that negotiations took a long time in order to resist a ‘cookie cutter’ approach to tribal gaming that ignores the wide diversity of tribal governments and needs of their members.

Earlier this week a compact approved by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians was rejected by the state Assembly because it failed to guarantee the right to organise casino workers. The Morongo Band makes it clear that it is proud of its cooperation with the unions and looks forward to working with any labour organisation that abides by the rights guaranteed under the Tribal Labor Relations Ordinance. Employees of the Morongo Band are guaranteed free speech and a secret ballot process to choose whether and by whom they wish to be represented.

The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians and the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians have also negotiated compacts to add slot machines to a total of 7,500. The legislative session ends on Thursday, not leaving much time for the four tribes to lobby support to get the compacts ratified. The Californian General Fund could receive US$21.8 billion in revenue over the term of the gaming compacts, and support in the legislature is said to be growing. (E-08.30.06)

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