On-strike casino workers at the Pickering and Ajax casinos in Ontario, Canada reached an agreement with Great Canadian Gaming Corp. (GCGC) on August 4. The next day the members of Unifor Local 1090 ratified the agreement by a vote of 92.8 percent and the workers returned to work on Saturday, August 6.
They began the strike July 29, which affected the operations of the Pickering Casino Resort and Casino Ajax, but did not shut them down.
Corey Dalton, president of Local 1090, hailed the agreement: “These were tough negotiations and we were able to get to a tentative agreement because members took a principled stand for better working conditions,” said Corey Dalton, President of Local 1090. “Gaming sector workers deserve fairness during these uncertain economic times.”
The striking workers had sought improvements in wages, benefits and pensions and to convince GCGC to use fewer part-time jobs.
Lana Payne, Unifor’s national secretary-treasurer, added: “My sincere congratulations to the Local 1090 members who took on a powerful employer to fight for what was fair.”
GCGC issued this statement: “The picket lines have now come down, and if the agreement is ratified on Friday as expected, our team members will be back at work by Saturday.” It added, “We want to thank all our team members and guests for their patience throughout this process, and we look forward to welcoming them back and ramping up operations as quickly as possible.”
Previously, the company had negotiated agreements with the union for Great Blue Heron Casino, Casino Woodbine, Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands, and Shorelines Casino Peterborough, Elements Casino Mohawk, and Elements Casino Brantford.
Unifor is the largest private sector union in Canada, with 315,000 members.
