Caesars Windsor workers vote 94% in favour of strike action
CBC
The Caesars Windsor workforce has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike action if it's required, according to the union representing them.
Unifor Local 444, the union representing workers at the casino, said on social media that 94 per cent of members voted in favour of a strike.
Casino workers had an online meeting Tuesday ahead of the virtual vote — the first virtual vote for casino workers. Online voting closed at 9 p.m.
Contract negotiations began last month between Unifor and Caesars management.
The union represents about 2,200 workers at the casino, about half of which are still on layoff due to pandemic restrictions. Many have not worked at all since the pandemic began and the casino was shuttered due to lockdowns.
Dave Cassidy, president of Unifor Local 444, said pandemic losses and the long closure of Caesars has had a big impact on workers. He wants the provincial and federal governments to offer more support to employees who no longer qualify for employment insurance.
"We have people, unfortunately, that have been out of work for over two years and don't have any income coming in whatsoever," said Cassidy.
"We have people that are going to food banks. We have people that are really struggling."
In this round of negotiations, Cassidy said the focus will be around wages, benefits and job security.
Even though the casino and its workers have had a difficult couple years, Cassidy said the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), which owns the casino managed by Caesars, has money behind it.
We're not looking for huge, huge gains. We're looking to make sure that we move forward with our membership. That's what we're looking for," he said.
"It's about coming in with the right deal and making sure that our members have the job security moving forward. That's what we're trying to lock in."
When contract talks began in Februrary, a spokesperson for the casino said pandemic losses were in the tens of millions making this round of negotiations challenging.
"To say the last two years were difficult would be a massive understatement," said regional president of Caesars Entertainment, Kevin Laforet, who would not say if the company is seeking concessions.
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