Toronto, Canada’s Casino Woodbine responded to striking employees by locking them out earlier this week. The approximately 1,000 workers at the casino were barred from entering the facility as of Monday.
The members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), one of Canada’s largest employee unions, voted to reject an offer by Casino Woodbine’s owner, One Toronto Gaming last week. The workers’ main issue is the rights of part-time workers.
They are seeking a living wage for those employees. They are asking for at least three days of work per week, Theo Lagakos, who is the local president for PSAC DCL 533 Casino Woodbine, told CP24.
“We have 50 per cent of the workforce over here that’s part time and for the longest time the workers have wanted to have at least three days, three shifts per week, in order to maintain their standard of living and the employer is not budging,” Lagakos said. “They don’t want to guarantee any hours of work. And that’s extremely problematic to people. We feel that these jobs are very precarious in that way.”
The employees represent every position from table dealers, cleaning staff, and cashiers.
“It’s really up to the employer (when talks resume). They’re the ones who have locked us out,” Lagakos told CP24. “They’re the ones that are not coming to the table. So we’re just going to wait out there until they decide to change their mind.”
Officials at Casino Woodbine have not publicly commented on the strike. They have, however, assured their customers that they are open for business. They are using temporary workers to replace the striking workers.
The company also posted this statement on its Twitter account: “You may have heard Casino Woodbine is involved in a labor dispute with PSAC that may cause delays or impact some amenities during your visit. All Great Canadian Rewards destinations in the GTA continue to operate 24/7. We thank you for your patience & support during these times.”
