Unifor members at eight Great Canadian Gaming Corporation casinos have voted to strike if new agreements cannot be negotiated by Friday, July 22.
Unifor is one of the largest trade unions in Canada, with 310,000 active members. It is asking for the prioritization of wages, benefits and pensions for all casino floor workers. Additionally, the union is seeking to increase the share of good, stable jobs by converting part-time or ‘casual’ positions into full-time jobs.
The eight Canadian casinos that are striking are predominantly tribal. They are: Great Blue Heron Casino, Casino Woodbine, Pickering Casino Resort, Casino Ajax, Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands, Shorelines Casino Peterborough and Elements Casino Mohawk.
Unifor’s Local 1090 represents approximately 1,500 workers in all of these casinos, except Elements Casino Mohawk. Unifor Local 252 represents 30 security workers stationed there.
Unifor Local 1090 President Corey Dalton commented: “We value our customers and the relationships we've built with guests over the years. Good wages and benefits translate directly into job satisfaction and that's good for business.”
This move by Unifor may have a knock-on effect for other Ontarian casinos. Unifor Local 504 represents 300 workers at Elements Casino Brantford with a strike mandate, plus 275 slot machine workers at Elements Casino Mohawk and Elements Casino Flamboro. They have collective agreements that expire in fall 2022 and spring 2023 respectively.
Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer Lana Payne commented: “Casino employers have bounced back following the pandemic-related closures. Our goal at the bargaining table is to share some of those gains with the workers who make casinos successful."
