The strike at the Caesars Windsor in Ontario, Canada is in its third week with no end in sight as management has cancelled reservations at the casino’s hotel as well as all Coliseum shows through the end of May
On the 17th day of the walkout hundreds of workers and union advocates marched around the casino. About 2,300 are represented by Unifor Local 444. The union membership voted to go on strike by a margin of 59 percent to 41 percent.
Unifor national President Jerry Dias declared “We can’t have a situation where we have minimum, minimum wage workers and workers that make slightly above working in an industry that is making millions and millions of dollars a year.” He added, “There has to be some common sense to this.”
He noted that workers have gone out on strike four times in the last quarter century against the casino. In 2004 the strike lasted 42 days. He said labor and management are at loggerheads over scheduling and too many part-time workers. Many who work five days a week are classified as part-time workers, allowing the casino not to pay them full benefits, said Dias.
Dias added, “This is about establishing a framework of what is fair because we can’t have a situation where we have minimum wage workers and slightly above working in an industry that is making millions of dollars a year.”
The labor chief said the strike is impact the surrounding community and harming tourism.
Several times the two sides have met to begin talks, only to have them break down shortly thereafter. James Stewart, president of Unifor Local 444 told reporters that his people made a presentation, but the company expressed no interest. “In our minds I saw no intent to bargain. Even if you put the money aside, let’s talk about the other issues,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any doubt the casino is trying to starve us out.”
