Ontario casino workers back strike action by over 90 per cent
Contract talks were due to continue over the weekend ahead of the November 11 expiry of the current collective agreements.
Key takeaways:
- Unionised workers at Cascades Casino Chatham and Starlight Casino Point Edward in southwestern Ontario have voted to authorise strike action, if necessary.
- Cascades Casino Chatham workers approved the measure with 91.5 per cent of the vote, and Starlight Casino Point Edward workers with 93.8 per cent.
- Unifor Local 444 represents 214 employees across the two casinos: 97 at Chatham and 117 at Point Edward.
Canada.- Unionised workers at two casinos in southwestern Ontario, Canada, have voted to authorise strike action if it’s deemed necessary to support their demands in ongoing contract negotiations. Employees at Cascades Casino Chatham approved the measure with 91.5 per cent of the vote, while 93.8 per cent of workers at Starlight Casino Point Edward voted to approve industrial action.
Unifor Local 444, which represents the workers, said contract talks were scheduled to continue over the weekend ahead of the expiration of the current collective agreements on November 11. Cascades Casino Chatham has 97 workers represented by Local 444, while Starlight Casino Point Edward has 117.
The strike authorisations do not mean that employees have immediately walked off the job, but set the grounds for a possible strike if negotiations fail to produce an agreement. The outcome of the weekend discussions will be key to determining whether the dispute escalates into industrial action.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Are workers at Ontario’s Cascades and Starlight casinos on strike? No. They have voted to authorise strike action if necessary, but have not walked off the job. The authorisation sets the grounds for a possible strike if negotiations fail to produce an agreement before the current contracts expire on November 11.
- How many workers voted to authorise a strike? Cascades Casino Chatham workers approved the measure with 91.5 per cent of the vote, and Starlight Casino Point Edward workers with 93.8 per cent. The two properties have a combined 214 unionised employees represented by Unifor Local 444.
- Which union represents the casino workers? Unifor Local 444 represents the workers. It has 97 members at Cascades Casino Chatham and 117 at Starlight Casino Point Edward, in southwestern Ontario, Canada.
