Image: Trevor Nichols
The director of public relations for Gateway Casinos Entertainment Limited says the company is “disappointed” its unionized employees in the Okanagan voted in favour of strike action last week.
The British Columbia Government Employees Union represents approximately 675 employees at Gateway’s four Okanagan casinos (Playtime Casino in Kelowna, Lake City Casino in Vernon, and Cascades Casinos in Penticton and Kamloops).
Last week, 88 per cent of its members voted on potential strike action, and the union says 93 per cent were in favour of a strike, if necessary.
Gateway’s Tanya Gabara says the company “has made many efforts to negotiate” with the union, even as the union refused its recent request to return to the bargaining table.
“We remain committed to having respectful discussions with the union to achieve a mutually agreeable contract that is reasonable and responsible for both our employees and the company,” she says.
According to BCGEU president Stephanie Smith, contract talks between the union and the casino first began in January but broke off on March 21 after neither side was willing to budge on wages.
Last month the parties returned to the bargaining table, but Smith says those negotiations “were not productive” and broke off after Gateway refused to offer wages the union thought was acceptable.
Neither the union or Gateway will say exactly what that offer was, but BCGEU members have told Okanagan Edge Gateway’s last offer was an 85-cent raise, spread out over four years.
Smith said the company’s last offer would mean wages wouldn’t even keep up with the minimum wage increases proposed by the provincial government.
Gabara says Gateway has applied for mediation and “believes that with help of the Labour Relations Board we can resolve the outstanding issues.”
The union has not yet said if it is willing to call in a mediator, but will today petition the BC Lottery Corporation to ask the organization “to ensure fairness in wages and working conditions at casinos across the province.”
A BCGEU media release says union members will rally outside the BCLC today and present the corporation a petition asking it to “enforce fairness” across the gaming industry and ensure a speedy resolution to another BCGEU strike at the Hard Rock Casino in Vancouver.
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