Bargaining

TORONTO—The strike at two Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (GCGC) casinos in Ontario could soon be over after tentative agreements were signed today.

“My sincere congratulations to the Local 1090 members who took on a powerful employer to fight for what was fair,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer. 

Unifor members at Pickering Casino Resort and Casino Ajax have been on strike since July 29, 2022. Details of the tentative agreement will be released following the membership ratification votes to be held on August 5.

LETHBRIDGE—Wage increases and a signing bonus are highlights of a new collective agreement ratified August 2, 2022 by Unifor members working at Arconic.

“This was a difficult round of bargaining and the committee should be proud of what they accomplished in this collective agreement,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. 

A Unifor member of Local 1090 on a legal picket line at Casino Woodbine was struck deliberately by a car late on the evening of July 31, 2022.

Members of Unifor Local 1090 have been on strike at Great Canadian Gaming Corporation’s Pickering Casino Resort and Ajax Casino since Saturday, July 23, 2022 fighting for wage increases and to reduce the employer’s reliance on a precarious part-time workforce. 

In Canada, workers locked out or on strike may picket other sites owned by the employer, which is why a legal picket line was in place at Casino Woodbine.

TORONTO – Unifor’s Bell Clerical and Associated Employees Bargaining Committee reached a tentative agreement with Bell Canada.

“I want to offer my congratulations to the entire bargaining team for remaining focused on members’ interests and securing this deal under difficult circumstances,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer.

“Telecommunications members united behind shared priorities, and many of those important issues are reflected in this tentative agreement.”

Dear Bell Clerical members,

Yesterday the bargaining committee received a request to meet with the company. On this video call, the company delivered their final offer. Their indication was that this would be the last offer we would receive before the strike deadline imposed by the union of August 18th. Whether we took this to the deadline or not this would be the last offer they would deliver to us.

The company then presented an offer to us which addressed some of the concerns of the members but fell short in others.

CALGARY – Newly unionized WestJet workers in Calgary and Vancouver have ratified a first contract that gives members at least a 13% wage increase, their first increase in five years.

TORONTO—After negotiations broke down earlier today between Unifor and Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (GCGC), a secondary picket line was erected at GCGC-owned Casino Woodbine.

“Our members, workers at Pickering Casino and their other properties, are fighting for equality with workers at other casinos. They are looking for fairness and Unifor is with them in this struggle,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer.

CALGARY – WestJet workers in Calgary and Vancouver have reached a tentative first collective agreement, avoiding any service interruptions in advance of Tuesday’s strike deadline.

“This bargaining committee has worked very hard over the last nine months to negotiate this first agreement that brings long overdue wage increases and improvements to working conditions,” said Scott Doherty, lead negotiator and Assistant to the National President.

TORONTO—Inadequate progress at the bargaining table will lead to strike votes at the Loomis Express job sites across Canada represented by Unifor. Loomis Express is owned by TransForce International (TSE:TFI).

“TransForce has created instability for workers with widespread contracting out,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National Secretary-Treasurer. “We will address this at the bargaining table or we’ll address it on the picket line—it’s up to the employer.”

Unifor Local 1090 members at Shorelines Casino Peterborough and Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands bargained a first tentative agreement on July 24, 2022. 

They credit the co-ordinated gaming sector bargaining table for the gains made in the contract, to be ratified later by the full membership of the unit.