Because they have ample power in California politics, union officials hoped that they could profit from a pending deal that would allow more slot machines at Indian casinos. Their goal: ensure that they won the right to “card check” organizing, which all but eliminates an employer’s ability to speak with employees about unionizing — and, more importantly, effectively gets rid of secret ballot elections for employees. So the good news out of California, via Copley News Service:

Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, has told organized labor it will not get what it wants in the agreements and is discussing revisions on other issues that could be made without renegotiating the compacts, lawmakers and knowledgeable sources said.

That’s a blow to UNITE HERE bosses, who had hoped to add thousands of members without having to “subject the workers to an election.” Good news for workers, bad news for labor leaders.