The filing was described as a historic event by union organizers, and is the culmination of a three-month drive to have employees sign union cards. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal touted the petition as a “huge” shift in the legal and labor landscape of Indian casinos nationwide.

A statement from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, however, makes it clear that the tribe sees the issue as a long way from being resolved. In the statement, the tribe reiterates its position that a union “is not in the best interest of our employees.”

“(T)he (t)ribe is a sovereign nation as recognized by the federal government,” a statement from the tribe issued by the director of public relations for Foxwoods says. “For this reason, we do not believe that federal labor law applies to our tribe. We have made our position clear to the NLRB and will continue to do so in the future.”

The statement says the tribe will review and respond accordingly to the petition.

Any union would be the first at Connecticut’s two casinos, and the election would be the first held at Foxwoods. It follows the federal appeals court decision earlier this year that ruled Indian casinos are bound by the NLRB.

The statement issued by the tribe does not make clear how the Mashan-tuckets intend to remedy the interpretation of federal law held by the appeals court.

When reached for comment Friday evening, Blumenthal said the tribe’s statement reflected an apparent attempt to defy the federal appeals court, despite the recent decision by the body.

“There is simply no question that they have a legal obligation to follow the National Labor Relations Act,” he said.

“Casinos across the world are looking at a labor movement,” said UAW local director Robert Madore. “We will be successful and we will win.”

Madore described the filing for a vote at Foxwoods as the biggest organized labor event in Connecticut in his 43 years of involvement in the state.

Union cards have been signed by a “supermajority” of dealers at Foxwoods, Madore said. At least 30 percent of a proposed union must sign cards to force a vote.

He would not elaborate on how many of the approximately 3,000 dealers signed the cards, but said the UAW would seek to move forward with an election as quickly as possible, though he said he expected Foxwoods to try to delay a vote.

He had a message for Foxwoods as well.

“Look out. We are on the radar screen. We are coming after you. We will get a union.” Madore said.

Foxwoods has warned employees that they would have to pay dues and could lose benefits in negations. When asked by The Sun last month why the casino opposed union representation, President John O’Brien said Foxwoods would like to continue speaking directly to its employees rather than be forced to talk to an intermediary.

“The (t)ribe believes its employees should have the right to say ‘yes’ and the freedom to say ‘no’ to a union free from pressure from a union, management or fellow employees,” the Mashantuckets’ statement indicates. “We believe employees should make any decision based on facts. Moving forward, we intend to communicate the facts to our employees so an informed decision can be made.”

The statement goes on to say the tribe has promoted a “pro-employee” environment at the casino and that workers currently have protections afforded them by tribal laws passed in the last 15 years.

As Madore stood at a lectern in the UAW Norwich office, he was surrounded by other local union leaders and dozens of dealers from Foxwoods who did not seem to agree with the pro-employee designation.

“I am so happy and so excited that we have finally done this,” said Jackie Little, who has been a dealer at Foxwoods for 15 years. “This is the proudest I have been in 15 years at Foxwoods.”

Little was one of many longtime Foxwoods employees at the press conference who said benefits and pay used to be better at the Western Hemisphere’s largest casino.

“I’ve seen a downward spiral in pay and benefits,” said Steve Peloso, a Rhode Island resident who has been a dealer for 15 years.

Peloso said that, when his three children were born, the expenses were paid out by his health insurance provided by Foxwoods. If Peloso and his wife were having children now, he said, he did not know how they would handle the expenses not covered by insurance after seeing many health charges not covered of late.

“It would bankrupt us,” he said.

Peloso said he was overjoyed with the news that UAW at Foxwoods had filed with the NLRB.

“I think a lot of people at Foxwoods were scared, they were afraid to sign the cards,” he said. “But a lot of them can’t wait to vote.”

Voting would be by secret ballot.

The dealers at the casino argue that, while they help to bring in billions of dollars in revenue for Foxwoods, they make their living mostly off tips from customers.

“We need a say and a voice and this is the way to get us there,” said Mary Johnson, who has been a dealer at Foxwoods for 14 years.

If a majority of dealers voted in favor of forming a union, Madore said the UAW could be at the bargaining table a week or two afterwards. Success for dealers could also pave the way for more unions at Foxwoods, he said.

Union representatives Friday suggested that drives could be made for other workers at the casino to be unionized.

For now, however, the focus is on dealers.

“We want the will of the workers to speak out,” Madore said.

In a statement released Friday, Attorney General Blumenthal said a “victory in union recognition would give workers a voice and a choice without fear of retaliation.”

“Today’s petition is a ringing call for fairness — in wages, benefits and working conditions. Unionization is a right entitled to respect and recognition, no matter who or where the employer,” Blumenthal said in a statement.

UAW has already made in-roads at casinos in Detroit and in Atlantic City in the last year. Madore said he has already had discussions with UAW representatives from those locales about what to expect as the union battle continues, but would not elaborate on any lessons learned.