Workers at the popular Ontario Caesars Windsor casino supported the strike action, with an overwhelming majority of 98,3 percent voting to stop working if their needs were not met. This was announced Wednesday evening by Unipo Local 444, a trade union representing the casino’s employees.
Union members of Caesars Windsor attended an intelligence conference and strike vote hosted by Unipo Local 444 at the Pogora Perlan Club on Wednesday. The four groups of workers voted in four separate votes throughout the day and announced in the evening that 98,3% of Caesars Windsor’s employees supported the strike action if necessary. Doug Bauer, the union’s third vice president, said employees would stop working if the deal with casino management was not satisfactory.
Negotiations between the workers and the casino began in February, but so far, the two sides have not reached an agreement. Negotiations resume Thursday, but workers are not optimistic. If Unipo Local 444 can’t make a fair deal until their current contract expires, they will leave their jobs. The contract expires on April 4, which means a new contract must be signed within two weeks.
Bauer, the union’s casino worker liaison officer, said despite the risk of a worker strike, the Unipo Local 444 is happy with the results of the vote because it clearly shows that workers support Unipo’s negotiating committee. He added that the committee does not want a strike, but positive action must be taken. 안전놀이터
Negotiations with Caesars Windsor Casino
Talks between the union’s bargaining committee and representatives of Caesars Windsor Casino began in February and the two parties met several times over non-monetary issues. The union says workers earn an average of C$19 per hour, including skilled trade workers. But excluding skilled trade workers, the average wage falls to $17 an hour. According to data provided by Windsor-based Unipo Local 444, the union represents about 2,300 workers from casinos.
Both sides cannot agree on a number of things, including wages. Ontario’s minimum hourly wage was raised to $14 on Jan. 1, giving workers hope that casinos would agree to pay increases. But negotiators are also discussing pension-related discussions and issues related to working conditions.
Caesars Windsor is one of the most popular casino resorts in Ontario, Canada and the Midwest of the United States. It is easy to see in Detroit and is considered one of the main reasons why casino games have been legalized in Detroit. Interestingly, Detroit’s Grigtown Casino Hotel, built a few years after the opening of Caesars Windsor, has a theme that is quite similar to Canada’s competitor. Caesars Windsor in Ontario has two hotel towers, a 5,000-seat stadium, and a total of 100,000 square feet of game area.