Nearly 900 workers at Pickering Casino Resort and Ajax Casino are on strike after contract negotiations with Great Canadian Entertainment broke down, leaving one of Pickering's largest entertainment employers in the middle of a labour dispute.
Members of Unifor Local 1090 began strike action just after midnight Friday, according to a news release from Canada's largest private sector union. The bargaining unit covers a wide range of roles across both properties, including gaming floor staff, cash cage employees, food and beverage workers, housekeeping staff, bus drivers, and shipping and receiving personnel.
The strike follows the rejection of a tentative agreement that workers say did not go far enough on wages.
We turned down a tentative agreement that didn't reach our goal of trying to reach parity with Woodbine down the road.
Local 1090 president Greg Weaver made the comments at a news conference Friday, saying comparable workers at the Toronto-area casino earn significantly more.
They're getting more than $3 an hour more across the board than our members here doing the same job at the same time.
Unifor national president Lana Payne said in a media advisory that members are prepared to hold the line until a fair deal is reached.
These workers kept the resort running through difficult years, and all they are asking for is fair wages and job security.
Workers describe abuse from patrons
Staff on the picket line said the dispute is about more than pay, telling Global News they routinely face mistreatment from customers on the job.
We've had chips thrown at us. We've had cards thrown at us. People screaming in our faces. We've had people yelling at us, talking bad about our families.
Games dealer and Pickering Casino chairman Samuel Ho made the comments in an interview with Global News. Housekeeping worker Deborah Bienstman said staff regularly deal with intoxicated and upset patrons.
Patrons that come in and they are either intoxicated or they're angry because they've lost their money. We deal with it.
We get pushed. They're not supposed to do that. They're not supposed to touch us, but it happens.
Casinos remain open
Great Canadian Entertainment told Global News it had been negotiating with the union for months and is committed to further talks.
Regrettably, despite our best efforts, we have not been successful in reaching an agreement. We are committed to continuing constructive discussions with Unifor to get our team members back to work as soon as possible.
The company statement came from executive vice-president Chuck Keeling.
Both Pickering Casino Resort and Ajax Casino will stay open during the labour disruption, though the company said some amenities may be affected.
It remains unclear how long the strike will last. Picket lines are expected outside both properties as talks continue.
