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The often bitter strike by close to 700 unionized workers at four Okanagan casinos owned by Gateway Casinos and Entertainment is over.
But only by a whisker.
Unionized workers at Gateway casinos in Kelowna, Kamloops. Vernon and Penticton had been on the picket line since June 29 and continued to do so this week after a tentative agreement was reached last Wednesday following an extended 10-day bargaining session between Gateway management and the negotiating team for the British Columbia Government Employees’ Union (BCGEU).
Workers in Penticton and Kelowna voted on the tentative agreement earlier this week, while workers in Kamloops and Vernon wrapped up voting Thursday evening.
The final vote was exceptionally close, with a source confirming the final vote saw less than 10 votes separating those who voted in favour of accepting the tentative deal from those who rejected the contract offer and supported continuing strike action.
Tanya Gabara, director of public relations for Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited, issued a news release Friday morning confirming the strike is over.
“Today, Gateway … reached a new collective agreement with the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union, which represents over 600 team members at Cascades Casinos in Kamloops and Penticton, Lake City Casino in Vernon and Playtime Casino in Kelowna.
“The new collective agreement includes immediate wage increases for every employee and a robust compensation package over the term of the agreement that is accompanied by a wide array of non-monetary benefits.
“We are pleased with the outcome of the vote and thank the bargaining committees that worked tirelessly to design an agreement that would fairly reward our employees while remaining reasonable for the businesses we operate in these communities.
“We know the past few months have been challenging for all involved and we thank our customers for their patience and loyalty throughout the labour disruption.
“We now turn our full attention back to our business and are committed to a smooth return to regular business over the coming weeks.”
The BCGEU issued its own news release 30 minutes later confirming the 19-week strike is over.
"I am so impressed by the solidarity and courage of our members,:" said BCGEU president Stephanie Smith. "They should be proud of what they achieved by sticking together throughout the bargaining process, especially over the last 19 weeks on the picket line."
The four-year deal includes an average 23.5% wage increase over the life of the agreement and improved benefits, particularly for part-time workers, she said.
"Our members are going back to work, which is great news," said Smith. "But the ratification vote was close, which means there is more work to be done in all four of these workplaces. That work starts as soon as the picket lines come down."
Casino workers will begin heading back to work over the weekend as operations resume to pre-strike levels, she said.
"On behalf of our members, I want to thank our friends in the communities of Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon and our friends in the labour movement for their support during the strike," said Smith.
The BCGEU represents members who work in table games as slot attendants, cashiers, in the count room, kitchen, security, guest services and maintenance.
Both sides agreed wages were the key issue throughout the four-month strike with the union claiming the majority of its members were working at or near minimum wage and this was unacceptable for a company that makes tens of millions of dollars in annual profits.
Gateway responded throughout the strike that the union’s wage demands were unreasonable, suggesting some job classifications would see wage increases over 60% and would make the workers in the Okanagan among the highest paid of any casino workers in B.C.
There was plenty of acrimony throughout the strike as both sides engaged in writing letters to residents in all four communities.
Gateway took the union to court in September stating striking workers were harassing customers and trespassing on company property.
However, a provincial court judge dismissed the application in early October.
In a 13-page decision, Justice Michael Tammen denied the application, stating “the picketing behaviour of the union thus far has been generally peaceful and has not strayed into unlawful conduct.
“As noted earlier in this judgment, if the picketing results in an actual blockade of the parking lot entrances, injunctive relief would follow. Similarly, if the picketers’ behaviour escalates into tortious conduct of any variety, the court would intervene. We have not yet reached that juncture.”
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