Casino Rama workers vote to strike if necessary

Casino Rama‘s refusal to meet provincial norms has forced members of Unifor Local 1090 to vote overwhelmingly in favour of a strike if a fair collective agreement cannot be negotiated by the end of the month.

“Unifor members are pivotal to the success of Casino Rama,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “They deserve a fair collective agreement and are prepared to escalate job action to get it.”

Unifor says the Casino’s workers are among lowest paid in Ontario, and the employer’s current scheduling practices make it almost impossible to achieve a reasonable work-life balance.

“Unifor members at Casino Rama have a great relationship with customers and take pride in their work,” said Steve Batchelor, Unifor National Representative for Rama. “It would be unfortunate if Casino Rama triggered a disruption for customers.”

Local 1090 is also seeking to strengthen benefits and the pension plan.

Almost 1,500 workers at Rama including dealers, cashiers, slot workers, food and beverage staff, environmental services, finance, hotel, valet, entertainment and other staff, voted to join Unifor in 2015 and achieved their first collective agreement in 2016.

They join more than 19,000 hospitality and gaming workers, including more than 9,000 at casinos. Unifor represents workers at Caesars Windsor, Great Blue Heron Gaming, and other gaming sites across Canada.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

SOURCE Unifor