If you reopen it, they will come. That is what the staff Caesars Windsor in Ontario, Canada discovered when they reopened the popular casino after a two-month strike.
One of the first customers to walk through the door declared to the Windsor Star, “I think everybody should be happy it’s over — the casino, all the people (in Windsor) who rely on tourism. “I didn’t go anywhere else. I like going here. I’m happy today. I missed it. It’s always fun to come here.”
The casino is the biggest tourist draw in the region and its absence was starting to have a collateral damage on surrounding businesses.
The strike was a bitter one and left a bad taste in the mouth of many workers. One worker, outside on a break groused, “If you don’t have something good to say, don’t say anything at all,” when asked for a comment.
Another said, “I had to come back or I would be laid off.” But most employees said they were happy to return. It took three attempts at negotiations before the more than 2,000 members of Unifor Local 444 ratified the contract.
Casino communications manager Jhoan Baluyot commented, “We have been busy since we reopened at 11 with a steady stream coming in.” The casino hotel was almost fully booked for its first weekend after the strike ended. The casino also offered promotional rates of $99 a room for Thursdays.
The casino has rescheduled 11 of the previously postponed concerts and added Barry Manilow and Amy Schuler to the schedule.
Caesars has the Total Rewards loyalty program and is using it to lure back patrons. Baluyot said, “We are optimistic (business will quickly return to normal) because of the feedback we have already received and our phones are ringing off the hook.”
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation declined to say how much revenue it lost during the 60 days. But that number may become obvious when the next quarterly report is issued in a few months.
It is a rare for a North American casino to be shut down by a strike because most casinos are represented by more than one union.
Ironically, the casino is in the midst of a 10-year anniversary celebration.
