Ontario: strikes at Pickering and Ajax casinos reach their end after Unifor members ratify their new agreements
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The strikes at Pickering Casino Resort and Casino Ajax, two Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (GCGC) properties in Ontario, are seeing their end afterUnifor members ratified their new agreements on Friday. Members of Unifor Local 1090 had been on strike since July 29, and tentative deals were first reached on Thursday.
Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer, said: “My sincere congratulations to the Local 1090 members who took on a powerful employer to fight for what was fair." Unionized workers have now ratified a new four-year deal, bringing an end to their two-week-long strike action.
“There were tough negotiations and we were able to get to a tentative agreement because members took a principled stand for better working conditions," Corey Dalton, President of Local 1090, said Thursday, before Friday's ratification. "Gaming sector workers deserve fairness during these uncertain economic times."
A coordinated bargaining table for Unifor members at GCGC properties met in July 2022 seeking improvements to wages, benefits and pensions. Unifor negotiations were also trying to reduce the employer’s reliance on precarious part-time jobs.
July negotiations derived inaverted strikes and new deals with Great Blue Heron Casino, Casino Woodbine, Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands, and Shorelines Casino Peterborough, Elements Casino Mohawk, and Elements Casino Brantford. Pickering Casino Resort and Casino Ajax were the only two ones left without a new agreement at that time, a situation that has now changed.
Unifor describes itself as Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in major areas of the economy. The proposed pact at Pickering and Ajax was ratified with 92.8% support.
Approximately 800 workers between Casino Ajax and the Pickering Casino Resort walked off the job during the strike. Both gaming facilities remained open during the action, although live table games at the Pickering casino were unavailable.
