FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 21, 200
Casino security vote 92 per cent in
favour of strike
NIAGARA FALLS – Security staff
at one of Ontario’s largest casinos have voted 92 per cent in
favour of strike action if talks fail to produce a new
collective agreement. Security staff, members of OPSEU Local
278, are currently in contract talks with the employer, a
consortium led by Chicago-based Hyatt Corporation.
“Our members are standing
firm,” said Local 278 President Jody Hutton. “They have said
over and over that they are willing to do whatever it takes to
get a new agreement that is fair, and addresses outstanding
problems. We are united behind our bargaining team.”
Hutton said
that some of the main demands that are on the bargaining table
include fair shift scheduling, reasonable disciplinary
language and the hiring of more full-time staff.
Virgery Vanier, OPSEU Staff
Representative and negotiator for the local, said she hopes
this vote will send a message to the employer that the union
is serious about its demands.
“The members
have made it very clear that they want their concerns
addressed,” Vanier said. “The members are ready to take
action, but we are optimistic that we can achieve a settlement
without disrupting operations at the casino.”
The contract
between the security staff and Casino Niagara expires March
31, 2006.
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For more information, please contact:
Virgery Vanier (905) 227-3770 or (905)
328-8446
Jody Hutton (905) 295-1095
