A picket line was started last week at the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation owned Casino Woodbine after negotiations between the firm and trade union Unifor broke down.
This comes after it was reported that tentative agreements had been reached at six gaming establishments in a bid to prevent potential strikes from taking place.
Signed agreements were said to have been made at Casino Woodbine as well as Great Blue Heron Casino, Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands, and Shorelines Casino Peterborough, in addition to with security workers at Elements Casino Mohawk, and Elements Casino Brantford.
“Great Canadian Gaming can easily afford to pay workers at Pickering what they pay workers at Woodbine. Until that gap is reduced, it will not be business as usual for GCGC,” said Corey Dalton, Local 1090 president.
All six entrances to Casino Woodbine have picket lines in a bid to create long delays for the general public to enter the venue.
Furthermore, members of Unifor Local 1090 have been on strike at Pickering Casino Resort since Saturday, July 23, 2022 fighting for wage increases and to reduce the employer’s reliance on a precarious part-time workforce.
“Our members, workers at Pickering Casino and their other properties, are fighting for equality with workers at other casinos. They are looking for fairness and Unifor is with them in this struggle,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer.
Representing 315,000 workers, Unifor says that it “advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future”
Unifor Local 1090 represents approximately 1,500 gaming workers at the Great Blue Heron Casino, Casino Woodbine, Pickering Casino Resort, Casino Ajax, Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands, and Shorelines Casino Peterborough.
Moreover, Unifor Local 252 speaks for 30 security workers at Elements Casino Mohawk. Unifor Local 504 represents 300 workers at Elements Casino Brantford with a strike mandate, plus 275 workers at Elements Casino Mohawk (slots) and Elements Casino Flamboro.
